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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. S 






UNITED STATES OF A^JERICA, 



ssi^^^S^-^^^i^W^S^^ 



SALVATION SOUGHT IN EARNEST. 



SALVATION SOUGHT IN EARNEST : 



M^ 



A SERIES OF SERMONS, 



SHOWING 



OF SECURING ETERNAL LIFE. 



BY REV. WILLIAM BACON 




NEW YOEK: 

MILLER, ORTON & 00 

1857. 



01 



5ll 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by 

REV. WILLIAM BACON, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Northern District of New York 



The Library 
OF Congress 

WASHINGTON 



STEREOTYPED BY 

WI LLI AM J. MOSES, 

AUBDRN, N. Y. 



C N T E NT S 



PREFACE, ---------- 

SERMON I. 



PAGE. 

7 



THE PREVALENCE OF INATTENTION TO RELIGIOUS 

TRUTH — ITS EVILS, CAUSES AND CURE, - - - 11 

S E R M N II . 

WHY GOD DOOiyjS SOME TO ENDLESS WOE. AND ADMITS 
OTHERS TO ETERNAL HAPPINESS: AND HIS JUS- 
TICE IN SO DOING, ---------- 33 

SERMON III. 

CONSIDERATION NEEDFUL TO CONVICTION AND CON- 
VERSION, ---- --.-- 56 

SERMON IV. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF CRITICAL INQUIRIES AND COR- 
RECT DIRECTIONS, AS TO THE AVAY OF SALVATION, 83 

SERMON V . 

THE ELEMENTS AND CH AUAC rERISTICS OF SAVING FAITH, 105 



143 



174 



vi Contents. 

SERMON VI. 

SALVATION BY THE ATONEMENT, AND NOT BY THE 
TEACHINGS OF CHRIST, --------- 

SERMON VII. 

THE NATURE OP REPENTANCE, -------- 

SERMON VIII. 
AUTHOR AND OBLIGATIONS OF REPENTANCE, - - - 202 

SERMON IX. 

NECESSITY AND EnDfiNCES OF REPENTANCE - - - 230 

SERMON X. 

ALLEGED DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY OF SALVATION 

OBVIATED, ------------- 254 

SERMON XI., 

THE TERROR OF THE LORD A PFRSUASIVE TO SALVATION, 282 

SERMON XII. 

THE GOODNESS OF GOD A PERSUASIVE TO SALVATION, 303 

SERMON XIII. 

THE GAINS OF GODLINESS IN THE PRESENT AND FUTURE 

WORLDS, -------------- 322 

SERMON XIV. 

WHY SALVATION IS PROVIDED FOR AND OFFERED TO 

THE PERISHING SINNER, - - ------ 346 

SERMON XV. 

THE GOSPEL AN IMMENSE LOSS OR AN IMMENSE GAIN, 370 



PREFACE. 



As Christ " came not into the world to call the righteous but sin- 
ners to repentance;" as "joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that 
repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need 
no repentance ;" as the impenitent for whom Christ died, are far 
more numerous than those who are already passed from death unto 
life ; as the conversion and salvation of sinners is much more impor- 
tant than the growth of Christians in grace and knowledge, the main 
object of the minister should be, to persuade men to " repentance 
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." His chief 
aim should be, not to perfect the Church as it is, but to add to it many, 
" such as shall be saved," And to this object, he should give not 
only the most of his toils, but the most of his anxiety and care. He 
should labor not only much, but judiciously. For souls are lost, not 
only by neglect, but by misdirection. Such ?ire the considerations 
that have led to the following work. 

The author has long been of opinion, that many ministers fail to 
give a proportionate attention to the unconverted portion of their 
flocks ; that important as it is to guard Christians against living 
lives that discredit the Gospel, and to urge them to perfect holiness in 
the fear of God, it is still more important, that sinners be instructed, 
warned and entreated to be '•' reconciled to God." In his opinion, 
too, many arc more deficient in pointing out the way to life, than 



viii. Preface. 

they are as to urging the impenitent to enter it — a deficiency prevail- 
ing as much in their publications as in their preaching. He believes 
therefore, that there should be a greater supply of books, suitable to 
be put into the hands of those who need to learn the way of life. 
Hence his aim to increase this supply. Nor has he sought sim- 
ply to add to its amount ; but to furnish, if possible, some more 
simple and precise instruction as to what the sinner must do in order 
to be saved. Believing, as he does, that inquiring sinners are often 
left in needless perplexity, as to the nature of repentance and faith, 
and are much in danger thereby, of failing to find salvation, he has 
labored to make these conditions of life fidly understood; and, as in 
doing so, he has departed much from the usual way of describing 
these graces, he invites the scrutiny of theologians, not vauntiugly, 
or in defiance of criticism, but with a sincere desire to be corrected, 
if found to be in error. Yet he hopes he shall not be thought pre- 
sumptuous for attempting to bring some " things new " out of the 
treasure of God's unchanging, yet unexhausted word. 

This work may be thought defective, because it contains no article 
on regeneration. But although the author holds the evangelical 
views of its nature and necessity, he does not think its introduction 
here to be needful. Regeneration is the work of God on the human 
heart ; while the object of this volume, is to promote that work 
which man himself must do to obtain salvation. And when sinners 
ask what they must do to be saved, they are not told to be born again, 
but to repent and believe. If it be said, they need to know their 
moral helplessness, and consequent need of renewing grace, his 
reply is, that there is " a more excellent way." It is to learn this 
helplessness by experience, while trying to believe and repent. And 
while many would tell them, they can do nothing acceptably, till they 
have a new heart, and bid them pray for the aid of the Spirit, " the 
more excellent way," is to urge them at once to the exercise of re- 
pentance and faith. For this is the Scriptural method, while the other 
is not. 

The author has not dared to direct shinevs Jirst to pray for faith, 
penitence and a new heart, for two reasons. One is, that he does 
not feel authorized to do so by any precept or example of the word 
of God. We are taught to pray for the increase of these graces, Ps. 



Preface. ix 

51 : 10 ; Mark 9 : 24 ; Luke 17 : 5, but not for the beginning of them. 
The only answer which we are taught to return to inquirers after the 
way of life is, " Repent and believe." — Acts 2 : 38 ; 16 : 31, Instead 
of telling them the first thing to be done, is to pray for a penitent 
and believing heart, we should tell them, as Peter told Simon Magus, 
first to " repent, and then to " pray God, if perhaps the thoughts of their 
hearts may be forgiven them." — Acts 8: 22. And if it be objected, 
that sinners cannot repent or believe, till they have a new heart, and 
are converted, our reply is, that God understands this difficulty aa 
well as the objector does ; yet he " now commandeth all men every 
where to repent." — Acts 17 : 30. And the author has thought it safer 
to follow the teachings of God, than of man. 

But his other reason is, that to direct sinners to pray for conver- 
sion before they strive to repent and believe, would hinder rather 
than help their salvation. For the most effectual means of persuad- 
ing them to comply with the conditions of salvation, is to press upon 
them their obligations to comply. This is God's method. He urges 
their obligation by his commands, and teaches us to do the same. 
But if instead of this, we teach them that they cannot repent and 
believe, and urge them to pray for help, we divert their minds from 
their responsibility^ to their inability ; and thus set them to excusing 
their impenitence and unbelief 

Nor can the prayers of the unconverted avail them in the least, as 
regards their inability. For prayer is not a mere form of speech, 
but an " offering up of our desires to God." And what can there be 
in the real desires of the wicked that is acceptable *? Must not such 
a " sacrifice of the wicked be an abomination to the Lord ?" — Prov. 
15 : 8. Nor would their hypocritical offering of it be less abominable. 
How vain, then, to think of helping sinners out of their difficulty 
by telling them to pray. For they need the same grace to pray ac- 
ceptably, that they do to repent and believe. 

The author is also of opinion, that of late there has been much 
want of directness, solemnity and earnestness, in urging the uncon- 
verted to seek salvation — that many ministers seem to regard the 
plain and fearful warnings of the Bible, as outlandish and obsolete ; 
or so harsh that they require some softening or polishing circumlo- 
cution, to keep them from needlessly offending the refined tastes and 

1* 



X Preface. 

delicate Bensibilities of onr modem rebels against God. This point- 
less, powerless mode of preaching, is pronomiced by Unitarians, to 
be a progress and an improvement ■which they have inaugurated. 
But it is to be feared that this progress is in a wrong direction , for 
when " the terrors of the Lord" are preached in terms so mild and 
unmeaning as not to oifend the fastidious, they will not make much 
impression on any. And if this style of preaching has a Unitarian 
paternity, it seems the more strange, that it finds so many foster- 
fathers among the Orthodox. 

Believing that this want of plainness, directness and power, is one 
reason why there have been so few conversions for several years 
past, the author has felt the more anxious to avoid an error which 
he regards as so ruinous. While endeavoring to abstain from all 
needless harshness and severity, he has tried to show the impenitent, 
tenderly, yet honestly and with all fidelity, their real danger ; like- 
wise to warn them solemnly, and to entreat tiiem earnestly, to flee 
from the wrath to come. 

The title of this volume was adopted, because the author feels 
conscious that he has herein sought in earnest the salvation of the 
unconverted, and urged them to seek it in earnest for themselves. He 
believes the work itself will show, that his object has not been 
merely to minister to the intellectual entertainment of others, much 
less to make a display of talent. His aim has been, to present to the 
impenitent, such truths as are most needful to them, and to present 
them in a clear and cogent manner, for the sole purpose of inclining 
them to enter into life. As several of the first discourses are in- 
tended to awake attention to the subject of salvation, it is hoped 
the book may be useful to the careless. But it is intended mainly 
for the thoughtful, or those who are disposed to think seriously on 
their future welfare, whether such seriousness is occasioned by the 
providence or the Spirit of God. Such as the work is, it is com- 
mended especially to ministers of the Gospel, to Church officers, 
pious parents, and in fine, to all who would seek the conversion of 
sinners, that if they approve of it, they would recommend the pe- 
rusal of it to those especially, who in sickness or other affliction, or 
in a time of revival, are seriously disposed. For it is hoped that by 
such means, they may promote the salvation of many souls. 



SERMON I. 



THE PREVALENCE OF INATTENTION TO RELIGIOUS JRDTH. 

ITS EVILS, CAUSES AND CURE. 



" Attend to know understanding ^ — Prov. 4: 1. 

The sentiment of this passage is, that if we 
would know the truth, we must give it a strict 
attention. But it is astonishing how little the 
Gospel is really heeded, even by those who sit 
statedly under the sound of it. Many who 
have heard a whole sermon, are found to know 
very little of what it contained. And how are 
we to account for this? It is thus: The mind 
is capable of carrying forward two or more 
trains of thought at once. And we are apt to 



12 Pkeyalence of Inattention. 

give more heed to one of these than to the 
other. The one, then, that is least attended 
to, must ''suffer ;" especially if it be a difficult 
one : for then it needs much more attention, in 
order to be followed successfully. For in- 
stance, our work may be so simple, or so fa- 
miliar to us, that we can pursue it without 
much effort of attention. Consequently, we 
can think and converse about other things at 
the same time. Whereas, if our work be com- 
plex, or difi&cult, it will require nearly all our 
attention. 

And so the mere reading or lieoring of lan- 
guage is so much a matter of habit, that it re- 
quires but little care. The mind can, there- 
fore, easily wander off at random in a reverie, 
or in a more connected train of thought on a 
very different subject. But in that case, the 
meaning of what is read or heard is not suf- 
ficiently attended to, to be properly understood, 
or to be even remembered. In such a case, we 
can trace back the chain of our reasoning, and 
even of our reverie; but cannot remember 



Evils, Causes and Cure. * 13 

what we have been hearing or reading. In 
this way, many chapters and many sermons 
have been almost entirely lost. 

Very many are accustomed to lose the mean- 
ing of a great share of what they hear. They 
attend to it only hjj snatches — catching only 
here and there a portion of the discourse. For, 
during most of the time, their minds are waxi- 
dering off on far different subjects. All, even 
Christians, are liable to err thus ; and are, there- 
fore, cautioned to " give the more earnest heed 
to the things which they hear, lest at any time 
they should let them slip." And we shall see 
that the impenitent are more especially liable 
to it, on account of their indifference and 
aversion to religious truth. As this, then, is a 
yQV J prevalent erroi\ it is important to consider 
its evils, its causes, and its cure. 

1. Its Evils. One result of this defective at- 
tention to the preaching of the Gospel is, the 
incorrect, and often the contradictory reports 
of what is taught in the pulpit. One hearer 
catches only one part, and another catches 



14 Prevalence of Inattention. 

another part of the same discourse, each report- 
ing the portion which he caught, and insisting 
that what the other reports was not said. Some 
catch only a part of a paragraph, which *' garbled 
extract" gives, by itself, a very different mean- 
ing from what the whole would convey. For 
instance, if the minister should quote the Bible 
declaration, " The fool hath said in his heart, 
There is no God," they who caught only the 
latter clause might report that the preacher (or 
the Bible) declares that there is no God. 

Something of this kind once occurred with 
myself I stated in the pulpit, that many min- 
isters had been declared to believe " there were 
infants in hell not a span long ;" and added, 
that I never saw a man who would avow such 
a belief; and doubted whether such a man 
could be found: furthermore, that though it 
should be the opinion of others^ it was far from 
being mine. And yet some of my hearers went 
away and reported it as my own belief, that 
" there were infants in hell not a span long" — 
and this report spread far and wide. Nor do 



Evils, Causes and Cure. 15 

I believe these persons intended to tell a pos- 
itive falsehood. They caught only the expres- 
sion, "infants in hell," etc., but not my dec- 
larations, that / did not hold the revolting 
dogma myself, nor believe that others held it. 
This shows how important it is, that we listen 
faithfully to the preaching of the Gospel, lest 
we give a wrong report of it. 

Another evil of listlessness and inattention 
under the preaching of the Gospel is, the pres- 
ent pain which it occasions. Every one must 
be well aware, that while he sits under the 
preaching in which he feels no interest, and to 
which, therefore, he pays but little attention, 
the time hangs heavy upon him. He waits 
with impatience and pain to have the sermon 
close. There is no estimating how much dis- 
tress is thus endured in many a congregation. 
While some are listening with great eagerness, 
and consequently with much satisfaction to a 
discourse, and arc sorry to have it end ; others, 
while hearing the same sermon, will render 
themselves wretched by mere indifference and 
inattention to it. 



16 Prevalence of Inattention. 

But these evils liardlj deserve the name, 
when compared with another injury resulting 
from inattention to the preaching of the Gos- 
pel. It is that which relates to the salvation 
of the soul. We cannot acquire the necessary 
understanding of divine truth, unless we give 
an earnest and persevering heed to it. How 
unwise and unsafe it would be to heed instruc- 
tions in our temporal affairs, as little as many 
do the preaching of the Gospel. How could a 
jury decide a case safely, if they gave as little 
attention to the testimony of the witnesses, and 
to the exposition of the law, as many do to 
those instructions which relate to the ruin and 
recovery of their souls? And how could a 
man be expected to recover from a critical and 
dangerous disease, if he gave as little heed to 
the complex and lengthy directions of his 
physician, as many give to the instructions of 
the Gospel respecting the only cure of sin's 
fatal malady. Yet the salvation of the soul, 
and the interests of eternity, are immensely 
more important than the health of the body, or 



Evils, Causes and Cure. 17 

all the concerns of time. And since the pre- 
vailing heedlessness of the impenitent is putting 
their eternal well-being in awful jeopardy, we 
should the more seriously consider, 

2. Its Causes. One reason why many are so 
inattentive to the preaching of the Gospel is, 
they have so little control over their own 
minds. They lack the power or disposition to 
concentrate their attention on what they hear, 
to the exclusion of other objects. This makes 
it difficult for them to attend long and closely 
to any subject; especially if it be abstruse or 
complicated. Consequently, they make but 
slow progress in learning of any kind. 

Another, and more pernicious, as well as 
more prevalent cause is, indifference. Many 
care nothing^ and others very little about re- 
ligious instruction. Even Christians have far 
too little interest in it — especially at times. 
And this it is which makes them so dreamy, 
yawning, and drowsy in the house of God. I 
know that such dullness is often occasioned by 
disease or toil, or the weather. But with all 



18 Prevalence of Inattention. 

their lethargy, or weariness and languor, it 
would be difficult for them to sleep in the house 
of God, if they felt the worth of his word. 
There is no sleeping in revivals, nor anywhere 
else, if the worth of the soul is properly re- 
garded. 

Many sinners are so indifferent in regard to 
the Gospel, that they absent themselves from 
church altogether ; while others go but seldom. 
And the most of these go for anything else, 
than for the sake of hearing religious instruc- 
tion. ' Some go because they are required to 
go — others because they are urged — others 
out of regard to character — others for the sake 
of company, or to see certain persons there. 
And all the good that many aim at, in going to 
church is, to " while away the time," or to talk 
and laugh before and after meeting. And those 
who go to church for such reasons will rarely 
listen attentively to divine instruction. And 
if any do, it is only, perhaps, because they are 
interested in the rhetoric or logic of the preach- 
er, not because they value the truth which he 
utters. 



Evils, Causes and Cure. 19 

But with most of the impenitent, there is not 
only a strange indifference, but a positive and 
powerful aversion to Gospel truth. The apos- 
tle tells us, " the carnal mind is enmity against 
God." Sinners, therefore, dislike the Bible, 
because it brings this hated Being to mind : es- 
pecially as, when they hear its doctrines and 
precepts, it reminds them of their guilt and 
doom. They, therefore, turn instinctively away 
from it. Christ accordingly says: " Every one 
that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh 
to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." 
Usually, too, they have the impression that the 
Gospel is preached to them mainly for the pur- 
pose of paining them with a sight of their guilt 
and danger. They are, therefore, the more fixed 
in hating and in shunning it. These causes of 
inattention to the preaching of the Gospel, sug- 
gest to us, 

3. Its Cure. It is sometimes cured by special 
visitations of God's providence and Spirit. Of-' 
ten is the sinner's mind arrested and confined 
to the subject of salvation by loss of health or 



20 Prevalence of Inattention. 

property, by distress or danger, or by the con- 
version or the death of some dear relative or 
friend. "Adversity" leads men to "consider." 
Ecc. 7 : 14. " For when God's judgments are 
in the earth, the inhabitants of the world 
will learn righteousness." — Is. 26: 9. Many 
can therefore say with the Psalmist : " Before 
I was afflicted, I went astray ; but now have 
I kept thy word." — Ps. 119: 67. Many can 
look back to some striking or afflictive provi- 
dence as the means of first arresting and of fix- 
ing their attention to the subject of their own 
salvation. 

But often, in the absence of such a provi- 
dence, does the Spirit of God awaken the sin- 
ner's attention, and compel him to " consider 
his latter end." The state of mind thus pro- 
duced is usually called conviction. But this is 
rather a loose application of the term ; for, in 
such circumstances, the sinner is often far from 
being fully convicted, that is, convinced of his 
guilt and danger. But his mind is unusually 
aroused and interested in the subject of his ex- 



Evils, Causes and Cure. 21 

posure to wrath, and to his way of escape from 
it. Usually, though not always, is he considera- 
bly alarmed. Not unfrequently are many thus 
aroused at the same time ; which time is there- 
fore called an awakening or a revival. 

We have seen that one reason why many are 
so inattentive to the preaching of the Gospel is, 
their wantof power and skill in fixing and concen- 
trating their attention to the subject. Although 
this talent seems to be natural to some, and is 
most easily acquired in early life, yet it can be ac- 
quired, though with more difficulty, in later life. 
It is the result of energetic and successive efforts 
to withdraw the mind from other objects, and 
to fix it upon a single subject. This acquire- 
ment should be one principal aim in education. 
Yet it may, and should be attained by many 
who are excluded, by age or otherwise, from 
the aids of the school. Such a habit cannot be 
too carefully cultivated ; for, in proportion to 
its power will be the ease and rapidity with 
which we can acquire knowledge, human and 
divine. 



22 Prevalence of Inattention. 

Indifference^ we have said, is another and more 
pernicious cause of inattention to the Gospel, 
And how is this to be removed ? It is by con- 
sideration. We should consider the evils of in- 
attention that have just been alluded to — viz : 
that it makes us liable to give an incorrect and 
injurious report of what we have heard, and that 
it is important for us to hear attentively, lest 
we slander the preacher, and mislead those to 
whom we report his declarations. We should 
consider, too, how tiresome and painful it is to 
sit indifferent, and listless, and impatient, under 
the preaching of the Gospel, longing to have 
the sermon close — how much more comfortable 
we should feel, if we listened to it attentively. 
I am no advocate for long sermons. Taking 
human nature as it is^ the minister does well to 
be brief and comprehensive. Still, those who 
complain so much about '' long and tedious dis- 
courses," would seldom do so, if they were not 
too indifferent about divine truth. 

But especially should we consider how pro- 
foundly important is the preacher's theme, and 



Evils, Causes and Cure. 2J 

that it should therefore be immensely interestiDg. 
It includes a wide range of wonderful facts and 
momentous principles. The facts quoted from 
the Word of God should be as interesting, at 
least, as those described in the novel and the 
romance. How is it, then, that so many feel an 
intense interest in the works of fiction, and none 
in the more wonderful occurrences and charac- 
ters of the Word of God ? And, if the returned 
traveller secures such deep and delighted atten- 
tion, while relating the wonders which he has 
witnessed, why should not the preacher secure 
a deeper and more delightful attention, while 
he recounts the m.ore wonderful transactions, 
and more momentous truths of the book of God ? 
It is true, that he has not been an eye or an ear- 
witness of what he relates. Yet, as it is fully 
substantiated by sufficient proof, it is just as 
veritable and just as valuable as if his own eye 
had seen, or his own ear had heard it all. 

And much more interesting should the in- 
struction of the pulpit be to' us, 6eea^^e of its high 
intrinsic loorifi. It is not occupied about life- 



24 Prevalence of Inattention. 

less matter, nor on tlie mindless portion of an- 
imated nature ; but on men, on angels, and on 
the infinite God. Mental and moral philosophy 
should be thought by iLS as it was by the ancient 
heathen philosophers, to be vastly more impor- 
tant than natural philosophy ; since mind is so 
much superior to matter. And much more 
highly should we estimate that divine philosophy 
which treats of the characters and relations of 
man and his Maker. If we did but duly con- 
sider these things, we could not sit indifferent 
and listless under the word of God. 

But, as we have said, aversion to the Gospel 
is another and most powerful cause of inatten- 
tion to it. And here, too, is consideration need- 
ful. If sinners would but duly consider the na- 
ture and design of the Gospel, they would see 
it is neither fitted nor intended to increase their 
nnhappiness, but the very contrary. It reveals 
the only way in which they can be restored 
from the ruin and wretchedness of sin to the 
favor and fellowship of God : the only way in 
which they can be delivered from the servitude 



Evils, Causes and Cure. 25 

of Satan " into the glorious liberty of the chil- 
dren of God," saved from the everlasting fire 
prepared for the devil and his angels ; and 
brought to enjoy a "far more exceeding and 
eternal weight of glory." They would, on such 
consideration, see, too, that the purpose for 
which the Gospel is preached to them, is to se- 
cure to them these inestimable benefits ; that 
all the pain which it does inflict is only for the 
purpose of securing to them the infinitely greater 
good. For it seeks to show them their guilt 
and danger only, that they may escape from 
them, and secure " the peace which passeth all 
understanding" here^ and a "far more exceeding 
and eternal weight of glory" hereafter. They 
should, therefore, consider the ministers of 
Christ as messengers of "peace and good will 
to men ;" and as sent to warn them of their dan- 
ger, only because it is a necessary means of 
saving them from it : For, the Gospel is good 
news only^ as it offers salvation from eternal 
death ; yet none would regard or treat it as 

such, if they did not see their danger. 

2 



26 Prevalence of Inattention. 

But one consideration why sinners should 
cease to be inattentive to the preaching of the 
Gospel outweighs all others. It is the solemn 
truth, that unless they do give it an exact and 
earnest attention, they must perish, and perish 
under aggravated guilt and woe. Yain all the 
provisions of mercy by the death of the Son of 
God ; and vain all the invitations and warnings 
of his Word, to those who will not heed them. 
If sinners will not attend to the instructions of 
the Gospel enough to understand them, they 
must " perish for lack of knowledge." And 
thus this very Gospel, which should have been 
*' a savor of life unto life," will prove " a savor 
of death unto death. They should, therefore, 
resolve, that, however unpleasant the task, they 
will faithfully " attend to know understanding." 
Nor is it enough to understand tiieoreiically the 
way of salvation. Unless they so attend to the 
calls and warnings of the Gospel as to " v^ake 
out of sleep and arise from the dead," and " flee 
from the wrath to come," they must perish, how- 
ever exact and extensive their knowledge of 
the general plan of salvation by grace. 



Evils, Causes and Cure. 27 

My fellow sinners, let me entreat you to take 
this subject home to yourselves, and lay it on 
your hearts ; for it most seriously concerns you. 
You may have been sitting long under the 
sound of the Gospel, and may think you know 
a great deal about the way of salvation ; but 
what you do know will not save you, or it would 
have done so already. It is to be feared, that 
all you ha^ve acquired is only some general and 
indefinite ideas of the Gospel system ; while 
much that is jparticularly essential to your sal- 
vation you have failed to understand ; and failed 
just because it is especially unwelcome to you. 
What, then, is most needful to your salvation, 
you have yet to learn : and learn it you must, 
or be lost. 

But perhaps you are conscious of being still 
very ignorant of the whole system of religion, 
and charge your ignorance to the abstruseness 
of the subject, or to the deficiency of your in- 
structors ; whereas it is owing mainly to your 
inattention, occasioned by your indifierence or 
aversion. *' The way of holiness" is of itself so 



28 Prevalence of Inattention. 

plain, that " the way -faring men, though fools, 
need not err therein." While " a sinner seek- 
eth wisdom and findeth it not, knowledge is 
easy to him that understandeth." It were well 
if ministers would be more clear and definite 
in their statements of the way of life. But, im- 
perfect as yours have been, you could doubtless 
have gained much more instruction from them, 
had you given them proper attention.^ Perhaps 
you are conscious, that while your ministers 
have been teaching you your exposure to divine 
wrath, and your only way of escape from it, you 
have had very little desire to understand them 
— or rather, have wished not to know what they 
said ; and that what you have known you have 
desired as much as possible to keep out of mind. 
If you had heard any other instruction with 
equal indifference and aversion, you would have 
known very little about it. And do you expect 
to escape, though you continue on in this same 
course ? You cannot do it. No : you will find 
the God of salvation then and then only^ "when 
you search for him with all your hearth Stop, 



Evils, Causes and Cure. 29 

therefore, before you venture one step farther 
in your present career, stop and reflect, that 
such a course can lead you nowhere but to the 
pit of woe. 

See that sick man, with his sunken eye, his 
hollow cough, and emaciated form. He is gasp- 
ing for breath on the very verge of life. Phy- 
sicians and friends are anxious to converse with 
him respecting his disease, for the purpose of 
removing it, and thus of saving him from an 
early grave. But he manifests not merely an 
indifference toward their kind desires and ef- 
forts, but a positive opposition. He is annoyed 
by them, as officious and impertinent. He 
wishes to be left alone, to comfort or to cure 
himself, by trying to fancy that no fatal disease 
is assailing him. And what do you think of 
that man ? " Oh," you say, " he must be de- 
ranged." Sinner, that man is yourself, A dis- 
ease more deadly than leprosy and palsy, con- 
sumption and cholera combined, ha§ been long 
preying upon you. And you know not how 
soon it may terminate in death eternal. Yet 



30 Prevalence of Inattention. 

you are unwilling to consult " the great Physi- 
cian," who alone can cure you. Nay, you are 
not willing to hear others recommend him. 
Surely, then, " madness is in your heart, while 
you live." And unless you soon change your 
course, you must soon '' go to the dead." 

See that prisoner: he is "condemned al- 
ready," and the " wrath" of offended justice 
" abideth on him." Yet he heeds not his 
doom, but is bent on future pleasures, posses- 
sions and honors. His friends, and even the 
guardians of the law, are very anxious and very 
active to secure his pardon and release. Nay, 
the Chief Magistrate himself is so anxious to 
save him in any way that would be safe for his 
government, that he has already signed, sealed 
and sent him a pardon. And all he needs now 
to do, in order to secure his life and enlarge- 
ment, is to learn its conditions and promise to 
comply with them : which conditions are, that 
he cordially accept a pardon on the ground 
of the merits of another, and heartily resolve to 
submit entirely to that government, against 



Evils, Causes and Cure. 31 

which he has hitherto rebelled. But scarcely 
will he listen to the instrument, while it is read 
in his hearing. And while his friends urge him 
to comply with its easy conditions and live, he 
grows impatient, if not indignant, and wishes 
them away. Such prisoners are all my impen- 
itent hearers ; and yet you are " prisoners of 
hope," or rather luould be, if you would " attend 
to know understanding." The only hopeless 
feature of your case is, that you are not willing 
to '' know the things which belong to your 
peace." You are not willing even to enquire 
for the way in which you can escape from eter- 
nal death. And what folly and madness do you 
thus manifest ! If you go down to hell, as it is 
probable from your present feeling and conduct 
you will do, one of the most distressing reflec- 
tions, that will haunt you forever in your dark 
abode, will be, that you had so many opportu- 
nities to find the way of salvation, but would 
not improve them. Oh save yourselves, I be- 
seech you, from this eternity of anguish, by giv- 
ing a full and immediate attention to '' the only 



32 Prevalence of Inattention. 

way of escape from " the perdition of ungodly 
men." 

If you would be wise to life everlasting, the 
first subject, perhaps, which you would need to 
consider is, the final doom of the righteous and 
the wicked ; and to this I propose to call your 
attention in the following discourse. 



SERMON II 



• Wfll GOD DOOMS SOME TO ENDLESS WOE. " 

AND ADMITS OTHERS TO ETERNAL HAPPINESS 
AND HIS JUSTICE IN SO DOING. 



^^And these shall go atcay into everlasting punishment, but the 
righteous into life eternal^ — Matt. 25 : 46. 

It is often asserted in tlie Word of God, that 
he will judge every man according to his works, 
acquitting those whose works are good, and 
condemning those whose deeds are evil. Christ 
accordingly declares, " that they who have done 
good shall come forth to the resurrection of 
life, and those who have done evil, to the res- 
urrection of damnation." — John 5 : 29. And 
2-' 



34 Some Doomed to Endless Woe, 

these assertions appear to some to conflict with 
other passages of holy writ — passages asserting 
that none are saved by their own works. But 
it is hoped that this seeming contradiction will 
be found in the present discourse to be com- 
pletely reconciled. 

The text is Christ's declaration, respecting 
the final doom of the righteous and the wicked. 
For it stands in connection with that parable 
in which he describes the final judgment. In 
this parable he says : " When the Son of Man 
shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels 
with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of 
his glory : and before him shall be gathered all 
nations ; and he shall separate them one from 
another, as a shepherd divideth the sheep from 
the goats : and he shall set the sheep on the 
right hand, but the goats on the left." Here, 
as elsewhere, he calls himself " the Son of Man." 
And he says: "The Father judgeth no man, 
but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." 
So also does Paul speak of him repeatedly as 
the Judge of the world. 



Others to Eternal Happiness. 35 

By the sheep is meant the righteous, by the 
goats, the wicked. And the separation here 
spoken of must mean that which is to take place 
at the end of the world : for in making it, 
Christ " shall say unto them on his right hand, 
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the king- 
dom prepared for you from the foundation of 
the world" (verse 34,) and " also unto them on 
the left hand, Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting 
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." 
Then, after giving reasons for these different 
dooms, he adds in the text, — " These shall go 
away into everlasting punishment ; but the 
righteous unto life eternal." , 

In the original, the Greek word here trans- 
lated " everlasting," is the same as that trans- 
lated " eternal." Both mean endless. But as 
some deny the endless punishment of the wicked, 
it may not be amiss to mention briefly, in pass- 
ing, some of the reasons relied upon " to prove 
its unlimited duration." 1. The literal meaning 
of the word translated " everlasting''^ and " eter- 
naV is, aliuaijs being ; and when used to signi- 



36 Some Doomed to Endless Woe, 

fy any tiling short of this, it is used figuratively : 
as when we say, "such a man is an endless 
talker." 2. If this word does not mean endless, 
no other word in the Greek can express it. 3. 
Endless duration is its most obvious meaning : 
consequently, it is universally so understood. 
4. Christ well knew that it would be thus gen- 
erally understood ; and if he did not mean to 
teach endless punishment, he would have used 
a different phraseology. 5. He foresaw that 
this word, being so understood, must excite 
much painful fear. And if such fear were 
groundless, both his benevolence and veracity 
would have prevented his use of this word in 
this and the like passages. 

But I propose, on this occasion, to discuss 
two momentous questions. 

1. Why the wicked are sentenced to endless 
punishment, and the righteous to endless hap- 
piness : and also, 

2. Wherein is God just^ in pronouncing such 
different dooms. 

1. TF%, then, does he banish one class to 



Others to Eternal Happiness. 37 

hell, and admit tlie other to heaven ? In the 
context (v. 34-36) Christ sajs he admits the one 
to his kingxlom, because they fed him (or rather 
his ministers and people) when hungry, gave 
him drink when thirsty, clothed him when 
naked, and visited him when sick or imprisoned. 
He says, too, (v. 41-3,) that he bids the other 
to depart into everlasting punishment, because 
they failed to show him the like kindness. But 
other Scriptures teach us that these declarations 
are not to be taken literally. They teach us, 
that Christians are not saved simply and solely 
because they are kind to the ministers and 
members of the Church of Christ. Such kind- 
ness is not all the duty which they owe to God 
and man. And if they fail in any one^ they 
incur eternal death. For, '^Cursed is every 
one who continueih not in all things written in 
the book of the law to do them." And even, 
if from the commencement of their reformation 
they were to be 'perfect in every duty, they 
would still deserve death for their previous 
transgressions. Paul, therefore, tells us, " By 



38 Some Doomed to Endless Woe, 

the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be jus- 
tified" — that it is " not bj works of righteous- 
ness'' — but "according to his mercy, he saves 
us." Much less, then, can we be saved by a 
few acts of kindness to Christ or his people. 

Nor is it true, on the other hand, that the 
wicked are punished, simply and solely for their 
lack of such kindness. Many of them never had 
an opportunity to do such kind acts. And as 
to those who have had it, their failure to im- 
prove it will be but a small portion of the sins 
for which they are doomed to death and woe. 
It is evident, then, that the text cannot be taken 
literally. 

The conduct attributed in the parable to those 
on the right and left hand of the Judge, is to be 
regarded metaphorically, as a criterion of cJiar- 
ader^ in other words, as evidence who are and 
who are not Christians. The same test was 
taught by Christ on other occasions. (Mark 
9 : 37.) " Whosoever shall receive one of such 
children in my name, receiveth me : and who- 
soever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but 



Others to Eternal Happiness. 39 

him that sent me." And to the seventy whom 
he sent to preach, he said: (Luke 10: 16,) 
" He that heareth you, heareth me ; and he that 
despiseth you, despiseth me ; and he that de- 
spiseth me, despiseth him that sent me." In 
these passages, as well as in the text, we are 
taught the general maxim, that the real friends 
of Christ, to whom alone he promises salvation, 
will treat his ministers and his people kindly ; 
while his enemies (and all who are not for him 
are against him,) will treat them unkindlj. It 
is to be expected that those who love Christ 
will be kind to his friends, on his account : and 
that those who " hate him without a cause" will 
treat his friends with cold neglect, if not with 
abuse. He tells us, moreover, that while the 
world hates his people, (John 15 : 19,) they 
*'love one another." John 13 : 35.) And as 
" out of the abundance of the heart the mouth 
speaketh," and the hands ad^ it is to be expected 
that those who love Christians will treat them 
with kindness, and those who dislike them, will 
treat them with cold neglect, if not with posi- 
tive injustice. 



40 Some Doomed to Endless Woe, 

And how fullj is this confirmed by observa- 
tion. It will be seen, that generally speaking, 
Christians manifest much affection and kindness 
toward the ministers and members of the body 
of Christ : that they do it not only by intimacy, 
affection and kindly conduct, but by that "char- 
ity which covers a multitude of sins : which 
puts the best construction on conduct that 
seems to be wrong ; which regrets, and which 
strives, as far as it is proper, to conceal what it 
cannot justify. While, on the other hand, it 
will generally be seen, that the impenitent feel 
much dislike to God's people — a gratification, 
rather than a regret at their misfortunes — a 
satisfaction, rather than a sorrow, at seeing them 
go astray — saying, "Aha, so would we have 
it " — and a disposition to injure, rather than to 
relieve them. Not unfrequently will you find 
them more sour and crusty towards saints than 
sinners — more ready to ridicule and revile, 
and to mortify and vex them. To these there 
are many exceptions ; yet more apparent than 
real ones. Some sinners may treat Christians 



Others to Eternal Happiness. 41 

kindly, yet not out of love to them, but by the 
constraining consciousness of the excellency of 
godliness — some out of regard to their own 
reputation, or for the sake of the good will of 
Christians, and some even for the sake of taking 
advantage of them. They may even love them 
as relatives, companions, or friends, and admire 
their talents, dispositions and manners ; but in 
all this, it is not the Christian^ as such, but the 
relative^ the friend^ or some native excellence that 
commands their affection or respect. And all 
I insist upon is, that sinners never show kind- 
ness out of respect to Christ or to his image in 
his followers. What love they have to such is 
checked and chilled, rather than increased by 
a sight of piety in its objects. Show me a man 
who gives even " a cup of cold water," out of 
regard to Christ, and you show me one who 
will stand, in the Judgment, with the sheep at 
his right hand. Thus, kindness to saints is ev- 
idence of Christian character ; and thence, of a 
title to eternal salvation ; and unkindness is ev- 
idence to the contrary. It follows, then, that 



42 Some Doomed to Endless Woe, 

Christ will sentence some to hell, because they 
remain his enemies ; and will receive the others 
to heaven, because they become his friends. 

So there are many other portions of Scrip- 
ture that seem to teach that the redeemed will 
be saved on the same ground that the lost will 
be punished; that is, on the ground of their 
desert Such are the passages which speak of 
all being judged according to their characters, 
words and works. But these are to be under- 
stood in harmony with other Scriptures. By 
sinners and transgressors, the unrighteous and 
ungodly, we are to understand those who live 
and die in sin ; and, that they suffer just what 
they deserve, for their own iniquities; but by 
saints, by the righteous and the sanctified, we 
are to understand, not those who always have 
been obedient, (for such are not to be found,) 
but such as have become holy, by conversion and 
sanctification ; and that they are not saved by 
their own righteousness or good works, but by 
the righteousness of Christ through faith. 

2. We are now prepared to inquire wherein 



Others to Eternal Happiness. 43 

the Lord is just, in pronouncing such different 
dooms ? This will be perfectly apparent, on 
considering distinctly the precise grounds on 
which he condemns the one class, and acquits 
the other. He condemns the wicked for two 
reasons :' one is, they have violated his law ; the 
other is, they have rejected his offer of salvation. 
His law requires a perfect, persevering obe- 
dience ; and threatens death for a single trans- 
gression : for " The soul that sinneth [but once] 
shall die." Therefore by one trangression, our 
first parents incurred the curse of death and 
woe. And if it be asked, why a single sin 
should be threatened with such punishment, I 
answer : it was necessary, in order to give suf- 
ficient definiteness and force to the penalty. 
What authority would that parent have, who 
should give his children to understand that they 
might disobey him /or a loliile^ but that after 
some indefinite number of transgressions, he 
should punish them ? And how could the State 
be governed, if its penal code were equally in- 
definite ? Yet though the law of God threatens 



44 Some Doomed to Endless Woe, 

every sin, it apportions its penalties to the num- 
ber and aggravations of man's offences. None 
will suffer more than thej deserve. 

But though the wicked deserve all the pun- 
ishment which the law denounces on them, they 
need not suffer any of it.- Ample provision is 
made for their deliverance. Salvation is offered 
them on easy terms ; and thus they are left to 
their own option, whether to suffer it or not. 
The ultimate reason, then, why they endure the 
damnation of hell is, they refuse to be delivered 
from it ; and this, in some respects, is more un- 
wise and wicked than the transgressions by 
which they first became exposed to wrath. 
When we consider the love of God, in sending 
his Son for their redemption, and the sufferings 
of his Son to effect it, together with that scorn 
of this salvation, that love of sin, and that hatred 
of Christ, of his ministers and people, which 
prompt them to refuse this deliverance, we 
cannot doubt that " their damnation is just." 
They are cast into hell, not merely because they 
deserve it for their positive transgressions, 



Others to Eternal Happiness. 45 

mucli less because tliey have been more wicked 
than those that are saved, but because they 
loved their sins so much, and hated Christ and 
his people so much, that they would not allow 
the Lord to save them in the only way which 
was consistent with the interests of his moral 
empire. Thus they have to "be anathema 
maran-atlia^^ because they will " not love the 
Lord Jesus Christ." How justly they perish, 
then, when they do it so deliberately, and 
through the indulgence of such hateful and 
horrid affections. 

But we have yet to inquire, wliy^ while the 
wicked are cast into hell, the righteous are re- 
ceived into heaven ? And here we would 
frankly confess, it is not because they deserve 
salvation : for, on the contrary, they richly de- 
serve to " lie down in everlasting burnings." 
Nor is it because they have sinned less than the 
lost. Many, now in glory, have sinned more 
grievously than those who are now in the pit 
of woe. There^ high in heaven, sits Menasseh, 
who once filled Jerusalem with innocent blood : 



46 Some Doomed to Endless Woe, 

and there, too, higher and nearer the throne of 
God, sits a Saul of Tarsus, who once breathed 
out threatening and slaughter against the fol- 
lowers of Christ. Many of the impenitent may 
suppose that Christians think they are saved on 
account of their own good works ; but nothing 
can be farther from the truth. If any professors 
were to think so of themselves, it would be full 
proof that they were still " in the gall of bitter- 
ness, and bonds of iniquity." The real Christian 
feels himself more unworthy of God's favor, and 
more deserving of his wrath, than the sinner 
does. They regard themselves as covered, not 
with the fig-leaves of their own righteousness, 
but with the seamless garment of the righteous- 
ness of Christ. So far as their oion conduct is 
concerned in it, they regard themselves as saved 
simply and only because they have accepted 
tJiat salvation which is provided for, and offered 
unto all. 

As the wicked are ultimately condemned be- 
cause they do not accept of a provided salva- 
tion; so the righteous are acquitted because 



Others to Eternal Happiness 47 

they do accept it. Their good works are not 
mentioned in the context as things on the 
ground of which they deserve eternal life. No 
such thing. They are mentioned only as evi- 
dences of their having accepted the offered sal- 
vation. They show that the tree has been 
*' made good," because ^'its fruit is good." 
They show that these persons have a love to 
Christ and his people which none but Christians 
feel : for " every one that loveth, is born of God, 
and knoweth God." — 1 John 4: 7. And they 
show them to have a repentance and faith by 
which they have complied with the conditions 
of salvation, and that therefore, they are enti- 
tled to heaven on the ground, not of their own 
righteousness, but of that righteousness which 
Christ has wrought out for them by his " obe- 
dience unto death." So, on the other hand, the 
unkindness of those placed at the left hand of 
the Judge is not mentioned as the ivliole ground 
on which they are condemned ; but as proof 
that they had not the love, penitence and faith 
by which they also might have obtained salva- 
tion. 



48 Some Doomed to Endless Woe, 

I affirm again, that all^ both the righteous 
and the wicked, are, as regards their original 
character, alike deserving of final wrath ; and 
if they had continued the same, both would 
have inevitably perished. But a great change 
takes place with those that are to be saved. 
They give up their attachment to sin, and re- 
solve to " walk in newness of life." That is, 
they repent ; they give up their opposition to 
Christ and his plan of salvation ; and in a " faith 
which worketh by love," they rely on his right- 
eousness for deliverance from the wrath which 
they deserve. And yet this change of conduct 
and character affords them no claim to salvation 
on the ground of their oion merits as it makes 
no amends for ihejpast. For past transgressions 
they deserve damnation as much as ever. From 
this they are delivered by the sufferings of 
Christ, and only because they have complied 
with the conditions on which such deliverance 
is offered. Nor is their after obedience of any 
avail to them, so far as their pardon is concerned, 
except as it furnishes proof that they have com- 
plied with the terms of salvation. 



Others to Eternal Happiness. 49 

Against the doctrine of the final punishment 
of a portion of mankind it is sometimes objected, 
that some who belong to the visible Church are 
just as wiched as many who o.re out of it But 
what of that ? We are far from contending 
that all who are in the Church will be saved, or 
that all who are out of it are lost. Those who 
remain, in all respects^ as bad as the impenitent 
and unbelieving, will perish, whether they are 
professors of religion or not. For Christ has 
said, " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise 
perish ;" and, " He that believeth not, shall be 
damned." But those who do repent and be- 
lieve will be saved, whether they are in the 
visible Church or out of it, *' for the mouth of 
the Lord hath spoken it." They will be saved, 
let their conduct, in other respects^ be what it 
may. Yet, if they do really repent and believe, 
they luill be better in most respects (though 
they may not in some things) than the impeni- 
tent and unbelieving ; for repentance is a sin- 
cere, abiding and full purpose to forsake every 
sin, and to discharge every duty. And faith is 



50 Some Doomed to Endless Woe, 

that whicli "worketli by love," "purifieth the 
heart," and "overcometh the world." And 
therefore it is, that good works are the indispen- 
sable proofs that we have complied with the con- 
ditions of salvation. They, then, who say that 
Christians, as to their present moral character, 
are no better than others, are ignorant as to 
what they affirm, or they cannot believe what 
they say. If they do not see it now, they will 
see it in the final Judgment. Then they will 
'' discern between the righteous and the wicked ; 
between him that serveth God and him that 
serveth him not." Especially will " the Son of 
Man" discern it : for he will admit none to his 
kingdom but such as have given evidence by 
their treatment of him and his people, as well 
as by many other acts, that they have repented 
unto life, and have " believed to the saving of 
the soul." Nor will he banish any into ever- 
lasting punishment who have not shown, by a 
different course of conduct, that they have con- 
tinually rejected th^e great and only salvation 
which i&^£fer ed in th^ Gosp el. ' ' 



Others to Eternal Happiness. 51 

But it is asked, *' How can it be right in God 
to send one man to hell, and to save another 
from it, while both are alike deserving of dam- 
nation ?" And I answer, because the one has 
accepted the provided and offered salvation, 
while the other has not. And this is certainly 
a sufficient reason. Let me illustrate. "We will 
suppose the objector to be a Son of Temperance, 
who has resolved to employ his property to aid 
the cause of total abstinence. (And certainly 
he has a right to do so, if he does not thereby 
infringe upon the rights of others. Nor can 
God have less liberty.) Two drunkards, who 
have mortgaged their farms for strong drink, 
apply to this man for money, to save their 
homes from being forthwith sold by the Sheriff. 
He offers to advance the needful sums on two 
conditions. The one is, that they sign the 
pledge of total abstinence j the other is, that 
they promise to be industrious and frugal here- 
after ; and that as far and as fast as they can, 
they will repay the sums which he shall advance. 
Are not these very fair and generous offers ? 



62 Some Doomed to Endless Woe, 

But it so happens, that the worst of these drunk- 
ards accepts the proposals, signs the pledge, 
gets his money, saves his farm, becomes sober 
and industrious, and thus makes himself and 
family happy. While the other rejects the pro- 
posal. Consequently, his farm is sold, and fi- 
nally he is stripped of everything. In his ruin, 
he comes to this advocate of total abstinence, 
and reproaches him as the author of his ruin ; 
blaming him the more for it, because he relieved 
the other drunkard. " Only think of it," he 
says, "you helped my neighbor, though he 
was a greater drunkard, and a greater pest to 
society than I have been." 

What think you would be his reply ? Why, 
if he would condescend to reason at all with 
such an unreasonable creature, he would say : 
" Man, you have no one to blame but yourself. 
I was ready to do the same for you that I did 
for the other drunkard, and on the same terms : 
terms which were not only necessary on my 
part, but reasonable and easy as regards your- 
self You could have complied with them just 



Others to Eternal Happiness. 53 

as easily as lie did; and it would have been 
just as well for you as it has been for him. And 
as for myself, it would not have been consistent 
with my principles or my duty to help you, 
while you refused to sign the pledge, and to 
try to repay me. If I had helped you while 
you refused to reform, I should have encouraged 
and aided you in continuing your intemperance, 
and thus have injured the cause which I have 
espoused ; and as my property is solemnly de- 
voted to the cause of temperance, I ought to 
do all that I can with it to promote this cause. 
When, therefore, I advance a portion of it to 
promote one man's reformation, I ought to re- 
quire him to make all reasonable efforts to re- 
turn it, so that I may use it again^ in promoting 
the reform of other inebriate^.'' 

Now ih\^ ^pledge illustrates the necessity of 
repentance^ as a condition of salvation. For, if 
God were to pardon sinners without any pur- 
pose of theirs to forsake their sins, and to lead 
a new and holy life, he would encourage trans- 
gression. And the promise of striving to restore 



64 Some Doomed to Endless Woe, 

the money, illustrates the need of requiring 
saving faith. For such faith is a virtual ac- 
knowledgment of our indebtedness to Christ for 
pardon and salvation, and of our consequent ob- 
ligation to make all possible returns to him, by 
living in such a manner as to honor him, and as 
to promote his cause and his kingdom of grace 
among men. 

How evident it is, then, that those who per- 
ish, perish not only most deservedly, but most 
needlessly ; and not only needlessly, but through 
unspeakable folly : for their damnation is a de- 
liberate self-destruction. Let me, therefore, 
entreat my impenitent hearers to avoid it. You 
cannot but know, that ample provisions are 
made for your salvation, and that it is as freely 
offered to you^ as- to any who accept and enjoy 
it. And why will not you enjoy it, as well as 
they? You have only to rejpent and believe: 
that is, to resolve fully and sincerely that you 
will strive to abandon all your sins of heart and 
life ; and to rely wholly and willingly on the 
righteousness of Christ for pardon and eternal 



Others to Eternal Happiness. 55 

life. And why will you not noio decide to do 
so ? You cannot but know that you are ex- 
posed every moment to awful and interminable 
woe^ and that therefore it is at infinite peril that 
you neglect any longer this great salvation. 

Resolve, then, to escape at once from the 
" everlasting punishment" of the pit of woe, 
and to secure the " pleasures forever more that 
are at God's right hand." 

But it may be that some of you are not fully 
convinced of your exposure to final wrath, and 
your need of salvation. I propose, therefore, 
to show, in my next discourse, how such convic- 
Hon is attained. ^ 



SERMOI^ III. 



CONSIDERATION NEEDFUL TO CONVICTION AND CONYERSION. 



" I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testi- 
Tiionies. — Ps. 119: 59. 

God's word, or " testimonies," are the rule 
of man's conduct. When, therefore, the Psalm- 
ist thought on his "ways" or conduct, he found 
himself wandering from the divine command- 
ments, and was thus induced to return to them. 
Reflection on his conduct convinced him of sin, 
thus leading him to reform. And what took 
place with him, needs to take place with all 
transgressors. I propose, therefore, to show, 
in connection with the words of the text. 

The importance of consideration to conviction 
of sin^ and to conversion from it. 



Conviction and Conversion. 57 

Our first position is : The necessity of consid- 
eration to conviction. By consideration^ I mean 
a candid and close examination of our moral 
conduct. And by conviction^ 1 mean not merely 
a distressing fear of final wrath, — although that 
is the common signification attached to the ex- 
pression — but I mean the convincement of the 
understanding, that we have sinned against 
God, and are therefore in need of salvation by 
his grace. Distressing fear of divine wrath is 
not the essence of this conviction, but its frequent 
attendant ; and this conviction needs to be full 
and clear, rather than agitating. All men have 
more or less consciousness of guilt, but not 
enough to lead them to repentance. They 
need, then, to think upon their ways more at- 
tentively, and faithfully to compare their con- 
duct with the precepts and penalties of the 
Word of God. For, as the apostle says, ^' By 
the law is the knowledge of sin." And although 
these things are often brought to their minds 
by reading the Bible, and by hearing the Gos- 
pel, this is not enough to produce an effectual 
3* 



68 Consideration Needful to 

conviction. They need to ponder niuch and 
candidly on what they read, carefully comparing 
it with their own hearts and lives. And they 
need to do this with a desire, an earnest inten- 
tion to gain a thorough knowledge of their 
case ; else they will be liable to flatter and de- 
ceive themselves, and thereby fail to ascertain 
their real condition. 

Such is consideration : and if it be faithful, 
conviction will be the result. For the evidence 
of their guilt and ruin is so plain, that all who 
examine it faithfully must be convinced 
Why, then, do so many remain unconvinced? 
It is only because they will not consider. They 
will not, simply because, if they do consider, 
they are sure to be self-condemned. Said 
Christ, " Every one that doeth evil, hateth the 
light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds 
should be reproved." And hence the necessity 
of their being urged to this duty, not only by 
the Word of God, but by the special visitation 
of his providence and Spirit. 

Our next position is, that conviction leads to 



Conviction and Conversion. 59 

conversion. It is not, however, insisted that 
this is its invariable result. Lamentably often, 
its result is far otherwise. Many who have had 
the deepest distress in conviction have, never- 
theless, stifled it, and relapsed into greater 
hardness of heart, and greater excess of wicked- 
ness than before : thus fulfilling the words of 
Christ, " When the unclean spirit is gone out 
of a man, he walketh through dry places, seek- 
ing rest : and finding none, he saith, I will re- 
turn to my house whence I came out. — Then 
goeth he and taketh to himself seven other 
spirits, more wicked than himself, and they enter 
in and dwell there. And the last state of that 
man is worse than thefirsf'' But though there 
may be consideration and conviction, without 
conversion, there can be no conversion without 
conviction : for none will repent till they see 
their sins, nor will any escape till they see their 
danger. And though conviction does not always 
secure conversion, it has a fitness to do so, and 
a strong tendency to do so. Indeed it would 
always result in repentance, if it were not for 



60 Consideration Needful to 

the deep depravity of the heart. The under- 
standing is designed to be the leading faculty 
of the soul. Its office is to search out, by the 
aid of revelation, the way in which we should 
go ; and the moral feelings should always fol- 
low its guidance. But so corrupt are they, that 
they often refuse to do so, thus resisting the 
convictions of the understanding. And the 
weaker these convictions, the more easily are 
they overcome. If they were sufficiently strong, 
they would be victorious, thus securing con- 
version to God. Conviction leads to conversion 
by persuasion. The more fully, then, we are 
convinced of our guilt and of our exposure to 
wrath, the more difficult it will be for us to re- 
fuse to escape from them. The deeper, then, 
and the more distressing our conviction, the 
more it avails toward securing conversion. 

But our main position is, that this considera- 
tion, which leads to conviction and conversion, 
is an important duty. That it is the duty of 
every one thus to " think upon his ways," is ev- 
ident to all. Man should not act from blind 



CONTICTION AND CoNYERSION. 61 

impulse, or according to his own selfish inclina- 
tions, but according to the law of God. In 
other words, he ought to consider, whether the 
way in which he is walking is the way of God's 
testimonies : — that if it is not, he may turn to 
them without delay. If a man is injuring us, 
we feel that he ought not to be regardless of 
it; but should consider, and at once desist. 
Just so, then, should we act in regard to our 
offences against God and man. 

And the importance of this duty is equally 
evident. It is one which we owe, not only to 
our Maker and our fellow man, but to ourselves. 
It is important, because so long as we neglect 
it, we continue our wrong doing. If a man 
should injure us in but a single act, we should 
regard him as an unfeeling wretch, if he cared 
nothing about it ; still worse if he kept on re- 
peating, with heartless indifference, the very 
same act. And just so do all act toward God, 
who do not '' think upon their ways." In pro- 
portion, then, to the baseness of neglecting the 
duty, is the importance of discharging it. 



62 Consideration Needful to 

But we will now restrict our attention to its 
importance, as regards our own vjel/are. It is 
important to ourselves, because it is necessary 
to our conviction and conversion, and thus to 
our eternal salvation. We are all, by nature, 
the children of wrath. Having all sinned, we 
are condemned already to eternal woe; and 
thus the wrath of God abideth on us. Nor can 
we escape this wrath, unless we forsake our 
sins, and walk in the way of God's testimonies. 
For, *' except we repent, we must all perish." 
*' Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord." 
And, '* except a man be born again, he cannot 
see the kingdom of God." Conversion, then, is 
necessary to salvation. And equally necessary 
to it are consideration and conviction ; since 
without them, there is no conversion. Now 
the importance of salvation is to be measured 
by the worth of the soul ; and " what shall it 
profit a man," said Christ, " if he shall gain the 
whole world, and lose his own soul?" and, 
*' what shall a man give in exchange for his 
soul ?" As, then, the soul is of infinite value, 



Conviction AND Conversion. 63 

its salvation is of infinite importance. Of equal 
importance, then, is that consideration which ia 
absolutely necessary to the soul's eternal wel- 
fare. It is of infinite importance that we 
" think upon our ways ;" for unless we do so, 
we shall not turn our feet to God's testimonies, 
and thus shall sufi'er the loss of the soul in hell. 
Well, then, did Moses exclaim, concerning the 
thoughtless and impenitent, '' that they were 
wise, that they understood this, that they would 
consider their latter end." Wise, indeed, would 
it be in them to do so — infinitely unwise not 
to do so. 

There is no business on earth that man has 
to attend to, which is more needful or momen 
tons than the salvation of the soul. It should 
have his first and most earnest attention. And 
yet he is disposed to give it his last and least 
attention : or rather, to give it no attention at 
all. He is unwilling to consider even his need 
of this salvation, and thus is utterly defeating 
it. Let us look, then, for a while, at this strange 
aversion to consider his ways — to see what are 



G4 Consideration Needful to 

his reasons for it, and how insufficient they are. 
One man pleads the loant of time^ insisting that 
he is so completely occupied with the cares 
and labors of every-day life, that he has no 
leisure for attending to the concerns of the soul. 
But the infinite importance of consideration is 
enough to show the insufficiency of such an ex- 
cuse. Why is his life prolonged, and why is 
his time given him, but that he may think on 
his ways and turn his feet to God's testimonies ? 
He should '' seek first the kingdom of God and 
his righteousness," because it is of the first im- 
portance. He should do it, though it should 
hinder his attention to everything else, even 
the preservation of life ; for all other things are 
of no value at all, compared with the worth of 
the soul. How can he spend his time more 
profitably than in escaping 

" A death whose pangs outlast the fleeting breath 1" 

But he can attend to this duty without inter- 
fering at all with his other interests and obliga- 
tions. While "not slothful in business," he can 



Conviction and Conversion. 65 

be " fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." While 
most busily engaged in his usual employment, 
his thoughts often wander off on other subjects. 
And they might as well be dwelling on his own 
character and condition. Besides, he is often 
at leisure ; and these idle moments would fur- 
nish time enough so to consider his ways as to 
lay hold on eternal life ; for it need not take 
him long to find that he is a sinner, needing 
salvation, nor long to turn to God and live. 
Or, if he has not sufficient leisure by day, he can 
redeem it from needless sleep. And what if he 
should spend a sleepless night in making his 
calling and salvation sure ? Could he spend it 
more profitably than in securing the infinite 
glories of an eternal day ? And alas, how much 
time, by day and night, is he spending in for- 
bidden and ruinous employments. How much 
better to spend them in that consideration which 
would lead to conversion and a " far more ex- 
ceeding and eternal weight of glory." 

Others refuse to think on their ways, because 
they suppose the religion to which it leads their 






66 Consideration Needful to 

steps would interfere with the pleasures, riches, 
or honors to which they aspire. And what if 
it should ? What are the pleasures of earth, 
compared with " fullness of joy and pleasures 
forevermore, at God's right hand?" What is 
the wealth of the entire world, compared with 
the durable riches of righteousness ? And what 
the honors of earth, compared with the "far 
more exceeding weight of glory ?" Better lose 
the whole world, than lose their own soul. But 
religion does not debar us from one temporal 
blessing that is worth possessing ; nor does it 
hinder us in acquiring it. It rather aids us in 
the attainment of all that are truly desirable. 
Nay, ii promises them to all those who "seek 
first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." 
And thus it gives promise, both of the life that 
now is, and of that which is to come. 

But many are kept from considering their 
ways, for fear of disgrace. They fear that their 
fellow sinners will despise and revile them. 
And what if they do ? Every wise and honora- 
ble act has had to encounter the scorn and 



Conviction and Conversion. 67 

sneers of the weak and the wicked. Yet it 
is evident that there is nothing base or dis- 
graceful in looking at our conduct in order to 
amendment, or in looking at our exposure to 
evil in order to escape it. None think of de- 
spising a man for acting thus in regard to his 
temporal affairs. And how can it be disgrace- 
ful to do the same in regard to our eternal 
welfare ? Why more disgraceful to avoid the 
pit of hell, than the penitentiary ? What can 
there be ignoble in escaping from a " resurrec- 
tion to shame and everlasting contempt ?" and 
of securing " a crown of life that fadeth not 
away ?" Nothing can be mean that is momen- 
tous. 

" But ah !" it will be said ; " there is some- 
thing disgraceful, when we think on our way, in 
feeling and tacitly confessing ourselves sinners, 
deserving final wrath." No : the shame is not in 
feeling and confessing it, but in actually being such. 
It is rather ingenuous and noble than other- 
wise, to co^z/ess and /orsaX-e sin; while it adds 
both to the guilt and the disgrace of sin, to de- 



68 Consideration Needful to 

ny and continue it. But though it were as dis- 
graceful as could be imagined, to consider and 
to forsake our sins, it should be unflinchingly 
done, because of its infinite importance. How 
much better to be the derision and scorn of all 
the ungodly, that we may become the joy of men 
and angels on earth, and be adorned with the 
white robes and bright crowns of the saints in 
light, than to keep on in the way to death. 

Others, again, are kept from considering their 
ways, by the notion that the religion to which 
such consideration leads them, not only forbids 
their pleasures, but imposes painful duties ; and 
thus makes them unhappy. And what if all 
this were true ? The duty of consideration 
and conversion is so momentous, that no pri- 
vation of enjoyment, and no amount of suf- 
ferings, should induce them to delay this one 
thing needful ; for present delay may prove - 
eternal death, and thus bring upon them suffer- 
ings infinitely greater than what they fear : 
while, if they turned to God's testimonies, they 
would secure those " pleasures forever more," 



Conviction and Conversion. 69 

that would infinitely overbalance all the unhap- 
piness which they fear from religion. 

But it is not true, that religion would make 
them unhappy in life. It would, on the other 
hand, greatly add to their enjoyment on earth. 
On this point I will be brief, for I hope to say 
more of it in a future discourse. Suffice it to 
say, for the present, that the Bible represents 
the saint as more happy than the sinner — that 
Christians uniformly declare themselves to be 
more happy in serving God than they were, 
while rebelling against him, and that, as a gen- 
eral thing, the righteous appear no less happy 
than the ungodly. Nor is it reasonable to sup- 
pose that God would allow those who love and 
obey him, to be more unhappy than those who 
hate and rebel against him. Again, the affec- 
tions and services of God's people must, from 
their nature, contribute to their enjoyment, 
while the affections of the wicked must make 
them unhappy: and if religion makes men 
miserable, and sin makes them happy, then 
heaven must be a place of infinite woe, and hell 



70 Consideration Needful to 

a place of infinite bliss. But I hope to make 
these points more plain hereafter. 

Some are convinced, it may be, that if they 
were once truly converted, they would be no 
less happy for being Christians ; yet they re- 
gard the way to religion as a very painful one. 
They dread the distresses attendant on convic- 
tion and conversion, and wish they were already 
passed ; but shrink from them, and thus delay. 
Probably, many of such intend to encounter 
them before death ; yet still delay. But if 
they have ever to encounter them, the sooner 
the better, for there is much pain in dreading 
them ; and this pain ceases when conversion is 
passed. Unless they become perfectly thought- 
less and hardened, (a most dangerous state,) 
during all their days of impenitency, they will 
have some degree of this painful conviction of 
sin and danger. Whereas, if they would imme- 
diately "think on their way," and turn to God, 
the pain would be succeeded by peace and joy. 

It is indeed true, that a full conviction of 
sin is often excessively distressing. Conscience 



Conviction and Conversion. 71 

is one of the most powerful faculties of moral 
beings ; and we can scarcely conceive of anguish 
more keen than that inflicted by the conscious- 
ness of guilt. ''A wounded spirit, who can 
bear ?" We have often seen the sinner so over- 
whelmed with a sight of his sins, that sleep, and 
appetite, and health have fled ; and it seemed 
that, if relief had not soon come, death or dis- 
traction would have soon ensued. Often, too, 
are persons so tortured with remorse for some 
foul crimes of which they are not suspected, 
that they are forced to the confession of them. 
But it is the dread of this pain that keeps 
many from thinking on their ways, while it 
should powerfully urge them to consider them 
effectually. It is this that makes many try to 
disbelieve or forget God's word, because it 
condemns them. But how unwise and vain. 
Doubting will not annul God's denunciations ; 
and present forgetfulness will not prevent the 
evil effects of sin. It will only aggravate them. 
Sinners should rather reason thus : "If the 
slight glimpses which we are obliged occasion- 



72 Consideration Needful to 

ally to take of a few of our sins ai'e now so pain- 
ful, how much more so to look upon all of them 
eternally in hell ?" And this should urge them 
the sooner and the more thoroughly to think 
on their ways, that they may turn to God's tes- 
timonies, and thus escape from all the pangs of 
present remorse, and all the pains of final per- 
dition. 

But the business of consideration, conviction 
and conversion need not be so painful as it 
often proves. Many '' pass from death unto 
life" with comparatively little distress. And so 
might others, if they would look to their ways 
in the right manner, and for the right purpose. 
The distress so often felt is usually occasioned 
by the reluctance and resistance of the sinner. 
His consideration and conviction are forced 
upon him, and the pain which he endures is oc- 
casioned by his resistance, and prolonged by 
his refusal to turn to God. If he would begin 
the work of self-examination with the sincere 
and full purpose to see his danger and escape 
from it, the work would be one of comparative- 



Conviction and Conversion. 73 

Ij little distress, and of short duration. And 
the first burst of joy, after its completion, would 
amply compensate for all the suffering endured. 
How unwise, then, to postpone this work, or to 
aggravate and prolong it, when begun. If a 
painful surgical operation needs to be perform- 
ed, what folly to lie long under the increasing 
anguish of the wound, refusing to submit to this 
operation which alone can bring relief! And 
when the needful work is begun, how unwise 
to prolong it by resistance, and thus to prolong 
and increase the pain that needs to be relieved ; 
especially how unwise to do so, when delay 
may be death ! 

But important as consideration is, sinners sel- 
dom attend to it until it is powerfully pressed 
upon them by some special providence of God. 
Sometimes by a narrow escape from a fatal ac- 
cident, or by the danger of death in sickness 
or otherwise ; sometimes by the loss of a dear 
friend or relative ; and sometimes by other be^ 
reavements, they are led to consider the uncer- 
tainty and emptiness of all earthly things ; and 



74 Consideration Needful to 

to see their need of securing the society and 
treasures of heaven. These afflictions, God 
sends " for their profit, that they may be par- 
takers of his holiness ;" and many have occasion 
to bless him forever for them, because they have 
" worked out for them a far more exceeding 
and eternal weight of glory." 

Others are arrested by the special influences 
of the Spirit of God. All at once, by some un- 
accountable means, they find their minds un- 
usually solemn and tender ; and their thoughts 
turned within, on their own conduct and pros- 
pects for the world to come. They may try to 
rid themselves of the unwelcome subject — 
saying: *'Out! out! damning thought!" but 
it will not away. They soon discover their 
own sin and ruin, and the importance of fleeing 
from the wrath to come. And sometimes 
(would to God it happened more frequently,) 
the Spirit impresses many minds in the same 
place and time, compelling them to think on 
their way, and on their need of turning unto 
God. These occasions are called revivals of 



Conviction and Conversion. 75 

religion, or *' times of refreshing from the pres- 
ence of the Lord." These seasons, in which 
" God appears in his glory to build up Zion," 
have been frequently brought into disrepute by 
the mismanagement of some, and extravagance 
of others. Yet are they of infinite importance, 
since, notwithstanding these abuses, they issue 
in the salvation of many precious souls. Often 
has a dead orthodoxy despised such " revivals 
of the work of God ;" insinuating that they are 
the result of terror in the pulpit and weakness 
in the pew. But that they are not effected 
merely by the preaching of terror, is evident 
from the fact, that this same style of preaching 
at other times, and in other places, will not pro- 
duce the like results. And what though the 
deep and solemn attention at such seasons were 
awakened by the trumpet of alarm, if it do but 
lead the sinner to lay hold on eternal life ? 

But even when sinners are thus thoroughly 
awakened by these divine visitations, and pow- 
erfully urged to think on their ways, they are 
feeling at the same time a strange aversion to 



76 Consideration Needful to 

them, and are continually resisting the pressure 
which urges them forward. Especially do they 
struggle against that persuasion of the truth^ 
and that influence of the Spirit which urges 
them to repent, and to believe and be saved. 
This is most manifest in a powerful revival. 
Many of those who have the fullest sight of 
their sins and the deepest distress on account 
of their danger, will fight most furiously against 
the truth and mercy of God, and yield only 
when they are overcome, or rather are slain in 
the conflict. Nor are they always thus over- 
come. And others, who are not so deeply im- 
pressed, both hate and fear the work of salva- 
tion that is going on among them. Some flee 
the place, to escape it ; others, who stay in the 
midst of it, ridicule and revile, or otherwise 
oppose it ; while others silently hate it, and re- 
solve that it shall not press them into the king- 
dom of heaven. 

There is, moreover, a means of opposition 
which needs a separate notice. It is the alle- 
gation that these cases of conviction and con- 



Conviction and Conversion. 77 

version are the result of symjoathy. It is insinu- 
ated that vsympathy is a human weakness, which 
creates groundless fears in the subjects of these 
revivals — they becoming alarmed by seeing 
the alarm of others. Many, therefore, disdain 
to give way to their fears, lest they be taunted 
for their weakness. But this is as unphilosoph- 
ical as it is wicked. This disposition to feel as 
others feel is a susceptibility which God has 
given us for benevolent and noble purposes. 
It lies at the foundation of our social natures, 
and is needful for our individual welfare. It 
should, therefore, be welcome, when it contrib* 
utes to our good, and avoided only when it 
would be injurious. And alas, that men sym- 
pathize so much in a time of stupidity, with the 
carelessness and the daring impiety of the many 
whom they see around them. Perhaps no gos- 
pel sinner could remain unalarmed at what he 
already knows of his own sin and danger, if he 
were not kept in countenance by the stupidity 
of the multitude about him. Whereas, if he 
saw them concerned about their guilt and dan- 



78 Consideration Needful to 

ger, he would think at once, " I also am a sin- 
ner, and must be in the same condemnation." 
The truth is, the impenitent sympathize too' 
much with the stupid, and too little with the 
alarmed. Thus, with "hand joined with hand," 
they keep on " with the multitude to do evil." 
Yet the great question respecting the alarm 
of the sinner is not what was the occasion of it, 
but whether it is well founded? He should 
not be alarmed simply because others are alarm- 
ed. He should be " fully persuaded in his own 
mind" respecting his own condition. And this 
conviction he must obtain by comparing his 
life with the precepts and penalties of the Word 
of God. And, if he finds there is sufficient 
ground for alarm, it is well that sympathy^ or 
something else, has led him to think upon his 
way. Such an influence of sympathy is per- 
fectly natural, and perfectly rational. When 
one man sees others alarmed respecting some 
temporal danger, it would be strange if he 
should not be excited by it to consider whether 
he were not in the like danger. And is not 



Conviction and Conversion. 79 

this as proper in respect to the eternal welfare 
of the soul, as to the brief affairs of this life ? 

When God is calling sinners to repentance, 
either by his special providences or by the 
special influences of his Spirit, it is with them 
emphatically "an accepted time," and "a day 
of salvation." They should consider, then, that 
they now have their hest^ and probably their 
last opportunity to seek and find salvation. It 
is a time when God has come especially nigh 
to them. They should, therefore, the more 
earnestly " seek the Lord, while he may be 
found, and call upon him while he is near." 
And to do this, they need to think upon their 
ways, in order to see their need of his mercy. 
They should be careful also how, by neglect or 
opposition, they grieve his Spirit, and provoke 
him to leave them forever. They should wel- 
come and foster every argument, and every in- 
fluence that urges them to turn to God and live. 
They should " strive to enter in at the straight 
gate," and fully purpose to persevere in their' 
efforts, till they find salvation. 



80 Consideration Eeedful to 

Nor is it these alone that should make such 
earnest efforts to enter into life. It is the duty 
and interest of all the impenitent to think upon 
their ways, and turn their feet to God's holy 
testimonies. , They should not wait for the af- 
flictive dispensations of his providence, or the 
special influences of his Spirit, to rouse them 
to the work. Many, no doubt, are thus waiting. 
They seem to be thinking that nothing can be 
done by them, till they have such special visita- 
tions. But the gate of life is always open to 
them, and Christ is always waiting to receive 
them. Many, no doubt, are hoping, that 
when the day of distress, or of final sickness 
comes, they shall have the better time to repent, 
and prepare for death. But death will proba- 
bly come to them without warning, as he does 
to the most of others. Nor is the time of sick- 
ness and pain the " more convenient season" to 
make their peace with God ; far otherwise. 
And some, it may be, are looking forward to a 
revival as the time when they will secure eter- 
nal life ; while the probability is, that before 



Conviction and Conversion. 81 

another revival comes, they will have gone to 
the bar of God. 

My fellow sinners, so momentous is the work 
which you need to do, and so uncertain the 
time in which it must be done, that it ought to 
be done without delay. Noio you have an op- 
portunity to think on your way, so as to turn 
to the Lord, and thus to escape eternal woe ; 
and you know not that you will ever have an- 
other. Instead of waiting for some visitations 
of God to drive you to this work, you ought to 
begin it at once, with the utmost deliberation. 
Not only your duty ^nd interest, but your^ dig- 
nity as immortal beings require it of you. As 
it is an infinitely important work, it is a noble 
one. Do not basely shrink from it, then, be- 
cause the weak and wicked around- you think 
it disgraceful. Maintain a manly independence 
of opinion. Nothing that you can do would 
be more magnanimous than calmly and firmly 
to resolve, that you will ascertain your spiritual 
condition, and what you have to do, in order 

to secure a blessed and glorious immortality. 

4- 



82 Consideration Needful. 

You often inquire within yourselves, whether 
your course, as to your temporal affairs, is the 
safest and best ; and whether any change is 
needful to secure your temporal prosperity. 
Why not act thus in regard to your spiritual 
and eternal welfare ? Why not attend to it in 
the same deliberate and husiness-like manner ? 
— especially as you can thus do the important 
work with far less time, and pain, and trouble. 
May I not hope that you will begin the task at 
once? Will you not forthwith and faithfully 
consider your lives in the light of God's Word, 
till you see your need of salvation ? and seeing 
your need of it, will you not resolve to seek at 
once the straight gate of life ? Resolving and 
acting thus, you will be the better prepared to 
follow me in the next discourse. 



SERMON IV 



CRITICAL INQUIRIES AND CORRECT DIRECTIONS 

AS TO THE WAY OP SALVATION. 
THEIR IMPORTANCE. 



" Sirs, what must I do to be saved ?" — Acts 16 : 30. 

This question was put by the jailor of Philip- 
pi to Paul and Silas, who were then his prison- 
ers. On the previous day, the magistrates had 
laid " many stripes upon them, and cast them 
into prison, charging the jailor to keep them 
safely: who, having received such a charge, 
thrust them into the inner prison, and made 



84 Inquiries and Directions. 

tlieir feet fast in the stocks." But though they 
had been so cruelly treated, and though their 
present situation was so gloomy and distressing, 
Paul and Silas were the happiest men in that 
pleasure-loving city. So joyful were they, that 
'' they prayed and sang praises to God" at mid- 
night. Those prayers were heard of God, and 
answered by an earthquake that shook the 
foundations of the prison, burst open its doors, 
and loosened the bands of all the prisoners. 
As the jailor awoke and saw the prison open, 
he supposed the prisoners had fled; and ex- 
pecting, probably, that he should be put to an 
ignominious death, for letting them escape, he 
drew his sword to take his own life. At this 
critical moment, "Paul cried with a loud voice, 
'■ Do thyself no harm, for we are all here.' Then 
he called for a light, and sprang in, and came 
trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 
and brought them out, and said, ' Sirs, what 
must I do to be saved f " 

Saved ? — from what ? It could not have 
been temrpoYal death from which he sought to 



Way of Salvation. 85 

be delivered, for Paul and Silas must have un- 
derstood his inquiry, and have answered it ac- 
cordingly. And they answered, "Believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." But 
faith in Christ was suited, in this heathen gov- 
ernment, to hasten rather than ]jrevent his crim- 
inal execution. Nor had he any reason to ex- 
pect such a death, for no prisoner had fled. 
He had probably heard something of the Gos- 
pel, as it had been preached by Paul and Silas, 
during the many days that they had been in 
Philippi, and was now convinced, by the events 
of the night, and by the conduct of these its 
preachers, that Christianity was true ; conse- 
quently, that according to it, he was exposed 
to final wrath. Hence his haste and consterna- 
tion, his trembling and falling down before 
them ; and hence his earnest inquiry, 
" Sirs^ tvhat must I do to he saved f 

I shall take occasion from these words, to 
urge, 

The importance of precise inquiries — of 
precise answers — and of the precise observance 



86 Inquiries and Directions. 

of such answers to the momentous question 
of man's salvation. It is the more necessary to 
insist on this topic, because a great share of the 
impenitent are amazingly loose, indefinite and 
vague, in their attention to it On no other 
subject are they so wanting in precision and 
thoroughness. It is only on some rare occa- 
sions — that is, when they are "under convic- 
tion," as the phrase is — that they can be in- 
duced to think on this subject to any purpose. 
And then, it is because their attention has been 
arrested and aroused by the providence or 
Spirit of God, to see in some measure their sin 
and their danger. Of such, it is often said, to 
their discredit, that they are excited. But they 
need to be in some way excited, or else they 
would never attend effectually to the things 
that belong to their peace. And if they are 
excited to inquire as earnestly as the jailor of 
Philippi did, "Sirs, what must I do to be 
saved ?" it is of little consequence what it is 
that excites them. 

Many are even neglectful of the all-important 



Way of Salvation. 87 

question, whether they are actually exposed to 
eternal death. If a man were told by a compe- 
tent and reliable physician, that he had a dis- 
ease upon him, which, if not soon arrested, 
would be fatal, how unwise he would be, to use 
no means for its removal ! " Sir," says the 
man of medical science, *' that red spot on your 
face is the commencement of a cancer^ ^fhich, 
if not soon arrested, its arrest will be impossi- 
ble." How unwise in such a man to say, '' I 
feel no pain there ; I guess there is no danger ;" 
and so neglect himself, till remedy is unavail- 
ing. But how much more unwise is he who is 
told that the plague-spot of sin is upon him, 
and that unless the remedy be soon applied, 
death, eternal death, will be the consequence ; 
but who neglects even to ascertain more fully 
the truth of his danger; or who says, if he 
thinks at all on the subject, " I question whether 
I have any disease, or whether, if I have, it 
may not somehow pass away of itself" And 
this is the more unwise, as the great Physician 
has put into his hand an unerring treatise, show- 



88 Inquiries and Directions. 

ing him of a certainty lie has the disease, and 
is nigh unto death with it. How unwise to 
think he is not wicked enough to be lost, when 
the Bible tells him, " the soul that sinneth [if 
but once] it shall die" — that " cursed is every- 
one that contmueth not in all things written in 
the book of the law to do them;" and that, 
" who'soever shall keep the whole law, and yet 
offend in one point, he is guilty of all:" in 
short, that by his first sin he incurs eternal 
death ; and that all his subsequent sins are pro- 
voking God the more to " cut him down as a 
cumberer of the ground." 

But many confess, in general terms, that they 
are sinners, exposed to eternal death ; and that 
they must do something to escape it. But they 
remain in strange uncertainty and indifference, 
as to what that something is. Many seem to 
think there are several remedies, and one is 
about as good as another ; while unerring Wis- 
dom teaches there is but one. That was given 
in answer to the question in our text. It is 
faith. '' Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 



Way of Salvation. 89 

thou shalt be saved." It is true, that when the 
like question was asked at Pentecost, the an- 
swer was, " repent." But I regard this as vir- 
tually requiring faith ; for that state of heart 
which gives exercise to repentance, will of a 
certainty give exercise to faith also. Where 
the one is found, the other will be found. To 
require one, is virtually to require hoth. They 
always go together, and both are essential to 
salvatioD. " Except ye repent, ye shall all like- 
wise perish." And, " He that believeth not, 
shall be damned." 

But the wonder is, that while there is given 
such definite information on this subject, they 
whose eternal interest is at stake will not prop- 
erly examine it. But stranger still, that, if 
they do examine it, they do not settle down 
upon the information, when found, but look 
around for something else. The only way is 
not agreeable, and they seek some more wel- 
come way of escape from the wrath to come. 
Many who profess to believe the Bible, are try- 
ing to persuade themselves that a scanty supply 



90 Inquiries and Directions. 

of outward morality would counterbalance all 
their sins against God and man, while often told 
in the Word of God, that " by the deeds of 
the law. there shall no flesh be justified ;" and 
that '^ without faith, it is impossible to please 
God." How many rely upon a vague, indefi- 
nite, if not a mere fancied resignation and trust 
in God for forgiveness, while taught in the Bi- 
ble, that saving faith is a specific reliance upon 
Christ as a Mediator. How many rely on a lit- 
tle external reformation, or a little formality, 
such as infant or adult baptism, though the Bi- 
ble assures them that these things would make 
them but " whited sepulchres, beautiful," it 
may be, "without, but within full of dead men's 
bones, and all uncleanness.'' Nay, how many 
seem to think that some general attention to re- 
ligion, such as reading the Bible, or attendance 
on public worship, is all they need to do, for se- 
curing salvation ; sneering at all preciseness on 
the subject, as needless, pharisaical and foolish. 
Such a course Ls not only impious, as it is a dis- 
regard of the frequent and fearful warnings of 



Way of Salvation. 91 

God against impenitence and unbelief; but is 
awfully dangerous, as it perils the soul. It pro- 
vokes the Almighty to demonstrate the truth 
of these warnings by the more speedy execu- 
tion of his denunciations. 

Such want of accuracy and definiteness would 
be ruinous in temporal affairs. Suppose a man 
were told by competent and reliable advisers, 
" Sir, by the course you have taken, you are 
liable to have all your property stripped away 
from you ; and yet, if you will follow out pre- 
cisely the course which we have now delineated, 
all will yet be well." And suppose, on hearing 
this, he says : " The course you recommend 
will be attended with some considerable trouble, 
and I don't think my property is in such danger 
as you say. I think I will let the thing take its 
own course." And suppose they prove from 
the statute-book that the danger is real, and 
urge him to save, by one simple measure, him- 
self and family from beggary and starvation. 
But still, by utter neglect, or by loose and care- 
less attention to their advice, he suffers the loss 



92 Inquiries and Directions. 

of all. What folly would he thus manifest. 
But how much greater his follj, who suffers, by 
a similar course, the loss of his soul. 

Again, suppose a man is to be tried for his 
life, before an earthly tribunal, and his lawyers 
tell him he must present to the court a certain 
specified testimony, or no jury on earth can 
clear him. But suppose he replies, " I com se- 
cure that testimony. But I dislike to call on 
the only man that can furnish it ; for the truth 
is, I hate him. And I don't think it necessary 
to be so particular." They point to the legal 
authorities, and warn him again, that this par- 
ticular testimony is all that can save him. But 
he neglects to procure it, and thereby suffers 
death. What think you of his conduct ? Why, 
it is perfect wisdom, compared with the prep- 
arations that many are making to meet their 
God in judgment. 

One illustration more. A man is sinking in 
a far-gone disease. His physician tells him, 
" Your case is most dangerous ; yet there is one, 
and only one remedy that can reach it. If you 



Way of Salvation. 9$ 

will apply it exactly according to my directions, 
you will certainly recover ; if not, you will as 
certainly die. But because the remedy is an 
unpleasant one, he delays, and asks for more 
agreeable ones, till his mouth is sealed in death. 
But how much greater the folly of those who 
are seeking salvation by other means than re- 
pentance and faith. 

Many diseases of the hody admit of various 
remedies ; but even in such cases, it is very 
unwise to spend much time in seeking for those 
that are most pleasant; especially when delay 
endangers life. How much more, then, if the 
disease admits of but one remedy ? And such 
is the fact in the soul-destroying malady of sin. 
The whole Bible testifies that there is no escape 
from eternal death, but by repentance and faith ; 
that these, only^ and these prtcisely^ will avail ; 
that any effort to escape in any other way will 
only provoke the more, divine wrath ; because it 
is an impious effort to constrain the Almighty to 
contradict himself, by accepting a substitute 
for these, when he has so often and solemnly 
declared he will accept of none. 



94 Inquiries and Directions. 

How strange, then, that where it is immensely 
most important, that our inquiries should be 
exact, precise, and definite^ there men should 
be most loose, general and vague ; and there 
they should remain most uncertain and unset- 
tled in mind. Certainly, if there is any ques- 
tion in the world on which we need definite 
and exact information, it is on the question, 
" What shall I do to be saved ?" Surely, then, 
we should pursue the inquiry with unceasing 
eagerness, until satisfied that we have the pre- 
cise and full information that we need. 

And if, on this momentous subject, our in- 
quiries should be exact and definite, it is equally 
important that the answers to them should also 
be exact and definite ; otherwise such inquiries 
would be utterly in vain. But how many er- 
rorists in high places teach anything else than 
repentance and faith, as conditions of salvation ? 
Nay, many evangelical ministers are not suf- 
ficiently distinct, and clear, and emphatic on 
this point. They insist so much on external 
reformation, on reading the Bible and attending 



Way of Salvation. 95 

church, on confession and prayer, on " coming 
to the altar," and the like, as to leave the im- 
pression, I fear, that these means of grace are 
the conditions of salvation. I blame them not 
for urging them as duties ^ for duties they are, 
and ought to be done, salvation or no salvation. 
But what I blame is, that they do not tell sin- 
ners more distinctly, that not these means of 
grace, but faith and repentance are the con- 
ditions of salvation : or that, if they do name 
these as the only conditions, they do not ac- 
curately define them, nor distinguish them 
from their concomitants. Faith and repentance 
should stand out in bold relief, distinct and alone^ 
as the only terms on which God will pardon sin 
and save the soul. If there is any point in di- 
vinity on which ministers should try to be pe- 
culiarly cleay\ distinct and emphatic, it is this. 
But they often leave it in a perfect fog. They 
often mystify it by the way in which they speak 
of it in connection with divine agency, leaving 
the impression that repentance and faith are 
such high, mysterious things, that man cannot 



96 Inquiries and Directions. 

reach tliem; if not the impression, that God 
must, as it were, helieve and recent for us. Min- 
isters should try to strip repentance and faith 
of every adventitious envelopment, and to pre- 
sent them in their naked simplicity to the sin- 
ner's mind, with their elements and features ac- 
curately described. For it is to be feared that 
many fail of salvation because they know not 
exactly in what these conditions consist. 

It seems to me, the sinner can be easily made 
to understand sufficiently the nature of re^ 
pentance and faith. He understands what it 
is to resolve that he will give up all wrong con- 
duct and feeling toward his fellow man. And 
is it not as easy to understand what it is to re- 
solve^ that he will give up all wrong conduct 
and feeling toward God? Yet this resolution 
is, in my opinion, the very essence of " re- 
pentance unto life." This, I know, is doubted 
by many. They say men often resolve in vain ; 
"resolving, re-resolving, yet dying the same." 
But such resolutions are very different from the 
one I am now speaking of. They are always 



Way of Salvation. 97 

unthorough and half-hearted, and often imagin- 
ary. But the one I speak of is a sincere^ full 
purpose of the sinner, to cease for life and for- 
ever from all wrong action and exercise, as far 
as God shall enable him. He may not expect^ 
but he does intend^ " as far as in him lies," to 
" turn from the power of Satan unto God." 
Such a purpose as this will abide through life. 
But such a resolution God will accept without 
waiting to have it fulfilled. If in it he sees the 
sincere and '' the willing mind," he will " ac- 
cept it," granting the sinner pardon, and along 
with it a new heart, and all needful grace to 
fulfill his resolution, so far as it is necessary to 
his salvation. But I hope to consider this point 
more fully hereafter. 

Again, the sinner understands what it is to 
believe the statements of his fellow man. Y/hy, 
then, can he not understand what it is to '' be- 
lieve the record which God has given of his 
Son ?" He knows, too, what it is to rely upon 
the promised favor of man. And why not un- 
derstand, then, that " saving faith," which is 



98 Inquiries and Directions. 

simply a reliance upon the provided and prom- 
ised righteousness of Jesus Christ for salvation ? 
Where is the dif&culty of understanding what 
it is to depend wholly and alone on Christ for 
pardon and eternal life, through his atoning 
blood ? Most inexcusable and culpable are re- 
ligious teachers, then, if they do not describe 
the conditions of salvation so simply, and ac- 
curately, and clearly, that the inquirer cannot 
help understanding them: for it is infinitely 
important that such distinct answers should be 
given them. But more may be expected on 
this point, also, in another discourse. 

Yet vain the most particular inquiries as to the 
way of life, and vain the most plain and accurate 
answers to them, unless they are carefully follow- 
ed by those who endeavor to " enter into life." 
What follv in a man to think himself safe in re- 
gard to the cholera because he carries in his 
pocket a sovereign remedy, with directions how 
to use it. But how much greater the folly of 
feeling safe from " the wrath to come," because 
he has a speculative knowledge of the way of 



Way of Salvation. 99 

escape from it. Yet some are asking after the 
way of life with no distinct purpose of entering 
it noiu^ if ever. And others are priding them- 
selves on their speculative knowledge of the 
plan of saving grace, while they have no thought 
of complying with the conditions of salvation. 
Whereas, the more they know of it, the greater 
their sin, and the greater the wrath that awaits 
them. Yes, and in some respects, the greater 
the probability that they will finally suffer it. 
For, by sinning against the greater light, they 
do the more to exhaust the patience of God, 
and to harden their own hearts. 

To enter the straight gate, we must not only 
have an accurate knowledge of the way, but 
we must be awake to it at the time of entering. 
I may have adequate knowledge of the road to 
a certain place : yet, if I am heedless on my 
way there, I may plunge into this ditch, run off 
that bridge, and take this, that, or the other 
devious track, and thus utterly fail of reaching 
my place of destination. So, the sinner may 
have ever so precise an understanding of the 



100 Inquiries and BniECTioNs. 

elements of repentance and faith, yet, if he is 
inattentive to them, he cannot put them into the 
requisite exercise. Until he is quite within the 
gate of life, he is exposed to many sinful biases 
that are apt to divert the attention and draw 
him into paths that seem to run parallel with 
the way of life, while they are but the outmost 
tracks in the " broad way which leadeth to de- 
struction." 

If the sinner would be saved, he must fix his 
mind on repentance ajidfaith^ to the exclusion 
. of everything else. He must keep saying to 
himself, "I must have repentance or perdition: 
I must believe on the Lord Jesus Christy or he 
lost forevery And he must keep striving to 
repent and believe, till he succeeds and is saved. 
For, if he turns away his eye from the straight 
gate of life, or relaxes his efforts to enter it, 
there is a fearful probability that the Spirit, re- 
sisted and grieved, will leave him to relapse 
into hopeless stupidity. Or, if he should be 
roused again, and brought back to the same 
stand, the struggle must be renewed, and under 



Way of Salvation. Wl 

greater disadvantages than before. How mucli 
better, then, not to cease from his struggles till 
he has " entered into life." 

My fellow sinners, you know this subject is 
one in which all the holy on earth and in heav- 
en are feeling the deepest interest. And you 
know it is one of more importance to you than 
to any other order or class of beings in the uni- 
verse. If the angels of God are shouting for 
joy over each sinner that repents, how deep 
should be your concern in the subject of your 
0W71 salvation. And in proportion to its im- 
portance to you should be the earnestness and 
exactness of your attention and efforts. But 
are you not conscious of a strange and a strong 
unwillingness to consider it properly ? 

If you had only a small amount of property 
left by will to you, it would not be so strange 
if you took but little pains to get the possession 
of it. But, if you became the heir of an earl- 
dom or a dukedom, worth many millions, it 
would surely be strange indeed, if you did not 
make most careful, and critical, and most stren- 



102 Inquiries and Directions. 

uous and persevering efforts to secure posses- 
sion. How eagerly you would inquire the ex- 
act measures to be taken ; and how careful you 
would be to take them precisely and thorough- 
ly. how unspeakably amazing, then, that 
when you are offered a kingdom and a crown 
of more importance to you than to " gain the 
whole world," you are unwilling even to learn 
the exact mode in which the possession of it is 
to be taken : and that when you learn that you 
have only to recent and believe^ in order to se- 
cure this infinite gain, you are utterly unwilling 
to do so. 

You cannot but be conscious, my fellow sin- 
ners, that you have this inveterate and desperate 
aversion to the way of salvation ; and that it is 
causing you to delay the most important of all 
concerns. And probably you try to excuse 
yourselves, and quiet your consciences, by plead- 
ing this very aversion. But this aversion, let 
me tell you, is the most wicked, and the most 
dangerous feature of your moral character. 
What a horrid thing, to love sin so much, that 



Way of Salvation. 103 

you are not willing to forsake it ; and to hate 
God and his service so much that you are not 
willing to obey him, even to escape eternal 
woe, and to gain eternal blessedness! For 
this aversion alone, you ought to loathe and ab- 
hor yourselves ; and sorrow in the deepest dust 
before God. 

And how dangerous is this aversion, as it is 
constantly inducing you to neglect the great 
salvation. If you were walking on a steep, 
high precipice, on the bank of a deep, rapid 
river, and a violent wind were driving you to- 
ward it, you would keep as far as possible from 
the dizzy, dangerous edge, lest some sudden 
gust should dash you off that precipice, to per- 
ish in the deep below. But more dreadful /ar, 
is the height which you are now treading on 
the brink of death and hell. Fiercer and more 
fearful the corruption within, that is pressing 
you toward it. Yet you are yielding to and 
cherishing that corruption ; although it has al- 
ready driven you to the veriest verge of de- 
struction ; and its next impulse may plunge you 



104 Inquiries and Directions. 

into the billows of " deep damnation." It is 
not God, but yourselves that you have most to 
fear. He is willing and waiting to save you, 
in the only consistent way — in a way, also, 
that is best for you^ as well as him. But you 
are unwilling to let him save you. that you 
would at length consent to be saved. that 
you would now resolve, with all your heart, to 
forsake your sins, and trust in the blood of Christ 
for salvation. Till you have done this^ you 
have done nothing to purpose. And when you 
have done it, you have done all that is needed. 
do it NOW, I beseech you, lest you do it nev- 
er. 

Fuller views of faith and repentance will be 
found in the next five discourses. 






SERMOI V 



TIE ELEMENTS AND CHMACTESISTICS OF SAVING FAITH. 



"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christy and thou shalt be saved." — Acts 16 : 31. 

Sucli was the reply of Paul and Silas to the 
jailor, who asked them, " Sirs, what must I do 
to be saved ?" Nor was a more importaut 
question ever asked, or answered. And as this 
answer is given by the inspiration of God, it is 
a true and sufficient one. It is a matter of in- 
finite moment, then, that we get a right under- 
standing of it, since a failure to do so might be 
ruinous to the soul. And as the object of this 

discourse is to point out the precise meaning 
6- 



106 Elements and Characteristics 

of this answer, should it not have the close and 
candid attention of every reader ? I shall aim 
at truth, perspicuity and definiteness, even at 
the risk of being thought dry and tedious ; for 
the nature and importance of the subject de- 
mands the utmost precision, plainness and sim- 
plicity. 

Our single inquiry will be. What is Savij^g 
Faith? But we shall need to consider sep- 
arately. What are its elements ? and. What are 
its characteristics ? 

As used in its most extensive sense, faith is 
heliefon testimony. And in its general, religious 
sense, it is a belief of what God has revealed in 
his written Word. Faith is a belief with trust, 
or without it. Without trust, it is purely an 
intellectual exercise. And it is connected with 
trust only, when something is expected to be 
done by its object. When God is its object, it 
is a reliance on his miraculous power, or his 
providence. It is the faith, therefore, which is 
so fully illustrated in the eleventh chapter to 
the Hebrews, and that which should always be 



OF Saving Faith. 107 

'^ ^ 
called into exercise in prayer. It is that also 

which supplies the saint with patience, energy, 
and courage through life ; and is, therefore, of 
incalculable importance. i 

But saving faith is distinct and different from 
the foregoing ; yet mainly in that it is more 
restricted and specific in its object and end. Its 
object is Christ — its "ewe?, the salvation of the 
soul." God, the Father, is never spoken of in 
Scripture as the object of it, except as being, 
through Christ, the Author of salvation : as in 
John 12 : 44 ; 14 : 1 ; and 1 Peter 1 : 21. Nor is 
Christ himself its object as regards merely his 
power, goodness and truth. Saving faith looks 
mainly, if not exclusively, to that atonement and 
righteousness which he wrought out by his " obe- 
dience unto death" for the justification of all 
who believe. And salvation is its end^ or aim : 
for it is its promised reward. — Acts 16 : 30, 31 ; 

Heb. 10 : 39 ; 1 Peter 1:9. . ==^^^! 

' 1 

This kind of faith is thought by too many to 
consist at most in a historic, intellectual belief^ 
that Christ died for the redemption of sinners. 



108 Elements and Characteristics 

But neither Scripture nor reason will allow us 
to suppose, that God couditions the salvation of 
sinners on the bare fact of their speculative^ 
perhaps their involuntary belief of the existence 
and mission of the Son of God. Such a belief 
had Simon Magus, and still remained " in the 
gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity." — Acts 
8 : 13, 23. And such a belief the devils have, 
yet continue to tremble under the impending 
wrath of God. — James 2 : 19. And it is to be 
feared, that many in our day are confounding 
speculative with saving faith, and will be there- 
by lost forevermore. It is, therefore, immense- 
ly important that the difference between them 
should be made as distinct and plain as possible. 
Few are aware how plainly, and how uni- 
formly these two kinds of faith (the speculative 
and the saving) are distinguished in the original 
Greek of the New Testament. When the va- 
riations of the verb -rjsrsuw pisteuo are intended 
to express saving faith, their object, if expressed, 
is, with very few, if any exceptions, to be found 
in the accusative case^ preceded ly the preposition 



OF Sating Faith. 109 

siti epi, (rarely) or sig- eis (usually.) And never 
is this form of expression used to express a faith 
that is merely speculative. Nearly sixty such 
passages may be found in the New Testament. 
But when the same Greek verb is used to 
express a belief which is not essential to salva- 
tion^ its object (if expressed) is usually, if not 
invariably found in the dative case, and mostly 
without a preposition. Nearly fifty such cases 
can be found. And, as I think, it was the inten- 
tion of the Spirit to mark the distinction be- 
tween these two kinds of faith by these two 
modes of expression. But let each one judge 
for himself Both these classes of texts may be 
found in the note below. I have appended 
them, that the critical student may examine 
them at his leisure.* 

* First class : Matt. 18 : 6 ; Mark 9 : 42 ; John 1 : 12 ; 2 : 11, 23 
3: 15, 16,18, 36; 4: 39; 6: 29, 35, 40, 47 ; 7 : 5, 31, 38, 39, 48; 8 
30; 9: 35,36; 10:42; 11:25,26,45,48; 12:36,37,42,44,46 
14:1,12; 16:9; 17 : 20 ; Acts 9: 42; 10:43; 11:17; 14:23; 16 
31; 19:4; 22:19; Rom.4:5,24; 10: 14; Gal.2:16; Phil. 1 
29; 1 Pet. 1 : 21 : 1 John 5 : 10, 13. 

Second class : Matt. 21 : 25, 32 ; 27 : 42 ; Mark 1 : 15; 11 : 31 ; 16 
13,14; Luke 1: 20; 20: 5; 24: 25; John 2: 22; 3: 36; 4: 21,50 
5:24,38,46,47; 0: 30; 8: 31,45,46; 10:37,38; 11:26; 12: 38 



110 Elements and Characteristics 

Those who read these two classes of texts, 
even in our English translation, will find, on 
examining their connection, that the faith spo- 
ken of in the former is saving faith, while that 
spoken of in the latter has no immediate or pos- 
itive connection with salvation. This differ- 
ference then in the modes of expressing these 

U: 11; ActsS: 12; 13: 41; 16: 34; 18: 8; 24: 14; 26: 27; 27:25; 
28: 24; Rom. 10: 16; 11: 30; 2 Thess, 2: 11, 12; 2 Tim. 1: 12; 1 
John 4 : 1 ; and 5 : 10, 

I am aware that there are many passages containing apparent ob- 
jections against the position which I have taken. But I am inclined 
to believe they are only apparent. Let us examine them. The first 
that I would notice is one in which the object of faith seems to be in 
the genitive. It is found in Rom. 4 : 17, " Before him whom he 
(Abraham) believed, even God " According to this rendering, it 
seems to be God (in the genitive) that is the object of belief. 
Whereas, it is not God himself, but his power or prorwise understood. 
8ee Barnes and Hodge upon the place. And as the object of faith 
is not expressed, its case is not given. This passage affords, then, 
no objection to my position. 

The next passages that we will notice are those in w^hich the ob- 
ject of saving faith may be thought to be in the accusative, without 
the preposition Sig or S'?r», The first of these is found in 1 Cor. 13 : 7, 
Charity " believelh all things." It must be seen at once, that the be- 
lief here spoken of is not saving faith ; for it has not the Savior for 
its object, but the conduct of our fellow men ; and means nothing 
more than a disposition to regard such conduct favorably. The oth- 
er passage is found in 1 John 4 : 16, " And we have known and be- 
lieved the love that God hath to us." Neither can this belief be 
saving faith ; for its object is not Christ, but the love of God. Neither 
is it a faith which secures this love, but it is a belief that this lovo 
is already secured. 



OF Saving Faith. Ill 

two kinds of faith is very striking. And it is 
the more emphatic, as some instances of both 
modes occur in immediate connection. One 
such is found in John 11 : 26, "And whosoever 
liveth and helieveth on me, shall never die. Be- 
lievest thou this f Belief, in the first clause, is 
saving faith, as its object is Christ, (in the accu- 

The next that I would notice, is a passage in whicli the object of 
faith is in the accusative, with the preposition sij , while it is thought 
that it is not saving faith. This is found in John 12 : 42, 43, " Nev- 
ertheless, among the chief rulers also, many believed on him ; but be- 
cause of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be 
put out of the synagogue : for they loved the praise of men more 
than the praise of God." Their refusal to profess Christ before men, 
for fear of displeasing the Pharisees, is thought to be evidence that 
theirs was not saving faith. But Nicodemus and Joseph of Arima- 
thea were probably among these " chief rulers." And they after- 
wards showed themselves to be the genuine disciples of Christ. See 
John 19 : 38, 39. At one time there were seven thousand secret saints 
in Israel, when the prophet thought he alone was left, and they sought 
his life. 1 Kings 19 : 10, 18, Nothing was so fearful to a Jew as to 
be put out of the synagogue, John 9 : 22, 23. And how many real 
Christians are at this day neglecting to profess religion, from worldly 
considerations, far less than the fear of persecution. But would they 
do so, if they regarded the approbation of God as much, and the dis- 
pleasure of men as little as they ought % Here, then, is no tenable 
objection. 

But there are a number of passages in which the object of faith is 
in the dative, and yet it is claimed that the belief spoken of must be 
saving faith. We will notice them in their order, 

John 3: 36. "He that helieveth on the Son hath everlasting life : 
and he that helieveth not the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of 



112 Elements and Characteristics 

sative,) and secures eternal life. But the be- 
lief in the latter clause is not a reliance on 
Christ's atoning blood for salvation, but a spec- 
ulative belief of the words which he had just 
been speaking : and therefore is not a belief 
which of itself secures salvation. Its object is, 
accordingly, in the dative. 

God abideth on him," That the faith mentioned is the first clause 
of this passage is saving, all agree. For it is rendered from a varia- 
tion of "rrtj TB-jiji and its object is in the accusative, with B^^ , and it has 
the promise of everlasting life. But the belief in the second clause, 
and whose object is in the dative, is rendered from another verb "^rsj^sw J 
and one never used to express saving faith. It signifies, at most, 
that speculative belief, the lack of which is as fatal to the soul as that 
of saving faith. And it is probable that John meant to charge this 
lack upon those hearers of Christ of whom he says, (v. 32,) " No 
man receiveth his. testimony." Here, then, is no tenable objection. 

John 5 : 24, " He that heareth my word and believe th (on) him 
that sent me, hath everlasting life." It is said that as this belief has 
the promise of " everlasting life," it mnst he saving fnith', and yet 
its object is in the dative. But the object of this belief is not Christ, 
but God, who sent him. Nor is the promise of eternal life made sim- 
ply to the faith here expressed, but to obedienc-e; for this is the 
meaning of hearing Christ's words, John 8 : 47 ; 10 : 26, compared 
with 27. And such hearing, of itself has promise of salvation. See 
Isa. 55 : 3, and John 5 : 25, compared with the previous verse. 

John 5 : 38, 46, 47, "And ye have not his word abiding in you ; for 
whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. For had ye believed Moses, 
ye would have believed me : for he wrote of me. But if ye believe 
not his writings, how can ye believe my words ?" It is thought that 
in these words Christ charged the Jews with want of saving faith in 
him, though the objects of it are in the dative. But a close iuspec- 



OF Saving Faith. 113 

Another instance is found in 1 John 5 : 10, 
*' He that belie veth on the Son of God hath the 
witness in himself: he that believeth not God, 
hath made him a liar, because he believeth not 
the record that God gave of his Son." The 
belief mentioned in the first clause is confessedly 
a saving faith, as it has Christ for its object, and 

tion of the connection of these verses will show him to be speaking 
only of speculative faith, for the object of this faith was not himself , 
or his righteousness, but his words. He charges them with the same 
unbelief toward himself that they had toward Moses. The only faith 
which he charged them with lacking was, a belief of the writings of 
Moses, and of his own words. The same may be said of John 8 : 45, 
46. "And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of 
you convinceth me of sin 1 And, if I say the truth, why do ye not 
believe me ?" For, evidently the unbelief here spoken of is not a lack 
of reliance on Christ for salvation ; but a disbelief of the truth which 
he had been just before teaching them. 

Acts 5 : 14. "And believers were the more added to the Lord, 
multitudes, both of men and women." As the word rendered " be- 
lievers" might be more literal, rendered those believing, the objector 
would render the j^assage, " Those believing the Lord were added," 
making " Lord" (in the dative) the object of believing. But I see 
nothing in the collocation of the words which requires such a transla- 
tion of the passage : and must think our version of, " added to the 
Lord" is as proper here as in Acts 11 : 24, " and much people was 
added to the Lord." 

Acts 16 : 34. " And when he [the jailor of Philippi] had brought 
them out into his own house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, 
believing God, with all his house." And as the word rendered 
" God," is in the dative, without a preposition, a more exact transla- 
tion of the latter clause would be, " and rejoiced with," or over " all 



114 Elements and Characteristics 

as it brings the experimental evidence, or the 
witness of the Spirit, that we are the children 
of God. See Rom. 8: 16. And its object is, 
therefore, Christ, (with ^'s eis in the accusative.) 
But that in the next clause is sjpeculative^ for its 
object is not the Savior, but God the Father, 
and is in the dative. Yet, that in the third 

his house, believing GodP But this could not have heen that saving 
foith which Paul and Silas had previously enjoined on him, saying, 
" Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt he saved." Doubt- 
less he had complied with this condition of salvation, in the prison, 
and before he was baptized. Why, then, should his saving faith be 
spoken of again, and in so late a connection 1 No : evidently it is 
another kind of faith that is here mentioned : not a faith in Christ, 
but a belief of the God of Abraham ; or rather, a belief of the cove- 
nant which God made with " the father of the faithful — a covenant 
pledging the salvation, not only of believers, but of their children — 
a covenant which he must have had in view, when he gave up his 
household in baptism. And as the objects, of these two kinds of faith 
are different, so also were the results different. " Believing in the 
Lord Jesus Christ" secured his salvation. While " believiDg God," 
the God of the covenant caused him to rejoice in the prospect that 
liis household would also be saved. 

Acts 18 : 8, " And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, be- 
lieved tho Lord." It is contended by some, that this belief of Crys- 
pus was a saving faith ; and yet its object is in the dative case, with- 
out a preposition. But there is no proof that he " believed to the 
saving of the soul." It is said, he was baptized, 1 Cor, 1 : 14. And 
so of Simon Magus ; it is said he believed, and was baptized. Acts 
8:13. Yet Peter soon perceived him to be " in the gall of bitterness 
and bonds of iniquity," v. 23. I do not affirm positively that Crys- 
pus had not saving faith. But I have as good a right to affirm it as 



OF Saving Faith. 115 

clause is saving faith^ for its object, in the original, 
has ^»r eis with the accusative, and which is, by 
nietonomy, Christ himself; for the record of 
God concerning his Son, viz, that eternal life 
is in him, (v. 11) is put for the Son himself 
The whole passage may be paraphrased thus : 
He that hath saving faith on the Son of God 

others have to affirm the opposite. For his subsequent character 
has not been given. If it had, we might have learned that he had 
no more " part nor lot in this matter" of salvation than Simon Magus 
had. The Acts of the Apostles were written some thirty years after 
the baptism of Cryspus, by which time his character must have been 
developed. And for aught we know, when Luke penned them, he 
was aware that this "chief ruler of the synagogue" was a graceless 
man ; and was led by the Spirit so to record this ruler's belief as not 
to indicate that he became a real Christian ; but that he, like Simon, 
had such a belief of the truth of Christianity as led him for a while 
to fovor, while others opposed it : and accordingly, he (Luke) was 
led so to express it as not to conflict with the doctrine of saints' per- 
severance. 

2 Thess. 2 : 12, " That they all might be damned that believed not 
the truth." It is supposed that the belief here mentioned must be 
saving fjiith, because the soul is lost for the lack of it ; and yet its 
object is here in the dative. But the want of saving faith is not the 
only thing that insures damnation. The lack of speculative faith is 
just as fatal ; for the former cannot exist without the latter. And 
that the belief spoken of in this passage is speculative, is the more ev- 
ident because its object is not Christ, but " the truth ;" and because 
it is evidently used in this yerse as in the foregoing verse, believing 
not the truth being the same as to " believe a lie." And damnable 
delusions are as fatal, certainly, as the mere want of saving faith. 
Yet a bare belief of the truth Avill not secure salvation. 



116 Elements and Characteristics 

hath the witness of his salvation within himself. 
He that discredits God, hath made him a liar : 
for, by not relying for salvation on him whom 
God has recorded to be the Savior of sinners, 
he has practically disbelieved God, and thus 
made him a liar. 

And there is yet another instance, although 

2 Tim 1 : 12, " For the which cause I also suffer these things : 
nevertheless, I am not ashamed, jfbr I know whom I have believed, 
and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have commit- 
ted unto him, against that day." The object of the belief here spoken 
of, is either God or Christ, and is in the dative. But there is no pos- 
itive proof that this belief is simply a saving faith. For the apostle 
is not speaking here of his salvation ; but of his sufferings in conse- 
quence of preaching the Gospel, He was then a prisoner in Rome, 
and expecting soon to suffer death. In the eighth verse of the con- 
text, he exhorts Timothy not to be ashamed of the testimony of 
Christ, or of his apostle, though in prison, expecting speedy death : 2 
Tim. 4: 6 ; but to bear " the afflictions of the Gospel, according to the 
power of God." And here he urges him to it by his own example, 
since he also was suffering these things without being ashamed. He 
then gives the reason why he was not ashamed. It was because he 
" knew on Mhom he had believed." Did he mean by this only tliat he 
knew in whom he had relied for salvation ? I think not. For he needed 
something more to support him in his present trials than the hope of 
final salvation. And something more, I think, he had. It was a re- 
liance on the power and promise of God to caiTy him triumphantly 
through all his trials ; and to make them a great gain, not only to 
himself, but those among whom he had ministered. For he told the 
Romans, (1 : 16,) the reason he was "not ashamed of the Gospel" 
was, that it was " the power of God unto salvation," not to himself 
merely, but " to every one that believeth." As he began his Chris- 






OF Saving Faith. 117 

it is not so obvious as the foregoing. It is found 
in John 8: 30, 31, "As he spake these words, 
many believed on him. Then said Jesus to 
those Jews who believed him. If ye continue in 
my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." 
As the belief mentioned in the first of these 
verses is followed by the accusative, and the 

tian career by inquiring, not what he must do to be saved '? but, as 
the answer to the question shows, " what the Lord would have him 
do" for the salvation of others ^ and as the salvation of others wa« 
the all-absorbing object of his life, we can hardly suppose he would 
mention the hope of his own salvation as the only reason why he was 
not ashamed of what he was suffering for the good of others. What 
is here translated, " that which I have committed," means my deposit, 
and may be what grammarians call " a noun of multitude," including 
not only his salvation, but his reputation, and all his interests. Paul 
meant, evidently, to say, that he " committed his whole way unto 
the Lord ; trusted also in him to bring it to pass : to bring forth his 
righteousness as the light, and his judgment as the noon-day." Ps. 
37 : 5, 6, And as his faith had regard to something beside his own 
salvation, its object should be in the dative. 

Tit. 3:8, " That they which believe God might be careful to main- 
tain good works." Here, too, the object of belief is in the dative, 
without a preposition. But there is no evidence that this is simply 
a saving faith. The passage expresses no definite reliance on Christ 
for salvation, but a general belief of the authority and truth of God. 
If Paul here intended to teach only, that saving foith binds us to 
good works, he does not teach the whole truth. For speculative foith 
does the same, though with less power ; for " to him that Jcnoweth 
to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin," emphatically. James 
4 : 17. If we believe God has a right to command, we are the more 
sinful if we do not obey. 



118 Elements and Characteristics 

other by tlie dative, it may be thought that the 
two forms are used indiscriminately, to signify 
the same kind of faith. But a closer examina- 
tion will show the contrary. For why the va- 
riation in the expression, if not to mark a varia- 
tion of its meaning ? Why, in one instance, is 
the object of belief in the accusative, preceded 

1 John 3 : 23, " And this is his commandment, That we should 
believe the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as 
he gave us commandment." Here, too, is the object of belief in 
the dative, without a preposition. And here, too, there is no proof 
that it is restricted to a reliance on Christ for salvation. Would 
saving faith be urged on those who had it already % The " name of 
Christ" often means his authority or power. As in Matt. 7:22; 
Acts 8 : 6, 16 ; and many other places. And in this place, the Apos- 
tle is evidently urging saints, not to salvation, but to obedience, and 
therefore to keep the authority of Christ more in mind, that they 
might abound the more in obedience to his commandment to love 
one another. The belief here enjoined, then, has a wider range than 
saving faith. Its object is, therefore, properly in the dative. 

It is true, however, that there are several passages in which 
Tfig TSbu is used in some relation to salvation, though its object is in 
the dative. But they are quotations from the Old Testament. And 
it is admitted by commentators, that such quotations from the Old 
to the New Testament are not always intended to be exact proofs of 
the point in hand — that often they are intended to be only approxi- 
mate proofs — nay, mere illustrations of it: as, Hos. 11 : 1 ; 'Matt. 
2 : 15, Three of these passages, Rom 4:3; Gal. 3:6; and James 
2 : 23, refer to Gen, 15 : 6 — "And he believed in the Lord ; and 
he counted it to him for righteousness." But the connection with 
the previous verse shows that this faith of Abraham was not a 
definite trust in Christ for his personal salvation, but a belief that 



OF Saving Faith. 119 

by the usual preposition ; while in the other, 
its object is in the dative, without a preposition ? 
Why, but to mark the same difference which 
is marked by the same means in the two pas- 
sages next above noticed ? The evangelist ev- 
idently intended to teach, that " as Jesus spake 
these words," many exercised a saving faith in 

his seed should be as numberless as the stars. Nor did the salvation 
of Abraham depend entirely on the fiiith here ascribed to him, as 
the salvation of saints does on their belief in Christ for eternal life. 
The object of Abraham's faith, then, should be in the dative. 

The other quotations are : Rom. 9 : 33 ; 10 : 11 ; and 1 Pet. 2:6; 
and refer to Isa. 28 : 16 — " Behold, I lay in Ziou, for a foundation, 
a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation : 
he that believeth shall not m<ake haste." And none of these passages 
promise, definitely, salvation to the believer, but that he " shall not 
make haste" — " shall not be ashamed" — " shall not be confounded." 
Salvation, undoubtedly, is included in these promises ; but not salva- 
tion alone. And as the promise is indefinite, so the faith is also in- 
definite. 

But the strongest objection to the position which I have taken is 
found in 1 Tim. 1 : 16, " Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, 
that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for 
a pattern to them which should here;\fter believe on him to life ev- 
erlasting." According to this, our common translation, the faith 
spoken of is saving, for it is to life everlasting. And yet, unlike 
any other instance, except three quotations from the Septuagint of 
the Old Testament, its object is in the dative, with the preposition 
i'Tfi. I confess my inability to obviate this objection to my position, 
in a way satisfactory to myself. And yet it seems to me not impos- 
sible. As the sacred writers, under the direction of inspiration, have 
kept to a certain form of expression in nearly, and, as I think, in all 



120 Elements and Characteristics 

him ; and then, that he said to all the rest of 
them, who only believed him to be a teacher 
of the truth, "If ye live in obedience to mj 
words, then shall ye be my disciples indeed.'''' 
For, if they become obedient to his instructions, 
they would have saving^ as well as speculative 
faith. And that some of them to whom he 

other cases, vrhy should they depart from it in this '? There are 
some considerations which incline me still to think, that the belief 
here spoken of is not saving faith. They are the following : 

Paul evidently intended to teach that Christ's long-sufFeriug to 
him was for the purpose of encouraging others to secure salvation. 
But such encouragement could take eflect with them only when they 
had speculative, but not saving faith. And should not the passage 
have, therefore, been rendered as follows : " Howbeit, I obtained 
mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffer- 
ing to life. everlasti7ig, for a pattern to them who should hereafter 
believe MmJ' And does not Peter refer to this passage, and to this 
meaning of it, when he says, " And account that- the long-stifering 
of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, ac- 
cording to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you 1" 2 
Peter 3 : 15. For his epistle is thought by chronologists to have 
been written six years after Paul's to Timothy. If it be said the ar- 
rangement of the words in the original forbids the arrangement 
which I have given in the translation, I would ask, may there not 
have been another reading of the passage 1 

But if the arrangement now proposed must be given up, 1 would 
inquire, whether sjg , in the last clause of the passage, may not mean 
here, as in Matt. 6 : 34, for, concerning, and in respect to 7 and 
the clause itself be rendered, " believe him for [as to, or in respect 
to,] life everlasting;" not intending to assert that life everlasting 
was thereby actually secured 1 If so, the faith here spoken of 



OF Saving Faith. 121 

spoke this, had not yet " believed to the saving 
of the soul," is evident from their cavils and 
conduct, recorded in verses 33-45. 

I will not say how full and exact a knowledge 
of the way of life the sinner must have before 
he can secure salvation. Before the coming of 
Christ, all saints must have had but very indis- 

is not necessarily a saving faith. These believers needed the exam- 
ple of God's long-snffering to Paul, to encourage them to a saving 
trust in Christ. 

But even if this must be admitted to be a " believing to the sav- 
ing of the soul," it does not invalidate my position. For be it re- 
membered, I have not insisted that the dative case is never used 
after a verb expressing saving faith. I onhj insist, that, when the 
object of the verb -a'js-rsuw is found in the accusative case, pre- 
ceded by the preposition s*«, or £ij , it neyer expresses a mere specula- 
tive faith. See page 109. What, then, if the object of solving faith is 
sometimes found in the dative 7 Still, it holds true, that the object 
oi speculative faith is never found in the accusative. 

It is true that when faith is expressed in Greek by the noun 
'f'S'^'T, its object, in some rare instances, is in the dative, with the 
preposition £v. But even then it is doubtful whether saving faith 
is intended. But I say again, all now .insisted on is, that Christ 
alone, [or God through him as the Author of salvation,] is the only 
object of this faith : and that, When it is expressed by any variation 
of the verb lagriixj) and its object is in the accusative, preceded by 
£<g , or stTi, it never necessarily means mere speculative faith ; but 
evidently that which secures salvation. And it seems to me, that 
a distinction so striking and uniform, is of great importance : tho 
more so, as many are in danger of confounding the two kinds 
of belief to their eternal undoing. As many of the impenitent 
have an intellectual, historic belief of the truth of God's word, 

6 



122 Elements and Characteristics 

tinct views of it. So also must many who are 
now converted in childhood, or among the 
heathen. And sometimes, too, we find real 
Christians in Churches that are exceedingly 
heterodox. But the more exact and complete 
our understanding of the conditions of salvation, 
the better we shall be prepared to find the gate 
of life ourselves, and to point it out to others. 
It is particularly important to have correct and 
precise views of the nature of saving faith. It 
is, therefore, desirable that it be as plainly dis- 
tinguished from speculative faith in the English, 
as it is in the Greek. And though this may 
not be done by words or phrases, it can by de- 
scribing its elements and its characteristics. 

I cannot think, with Dr. L. Woods, that sav- 
ing faith is Dot exactly described in the Bible ; 
and that this is because, it either is not neces- 
sary, or not possible, so to describe it. If a 

and even of the mission of Christ for salvation, they are in danger 
of thinking they have all the faith that Christians have. Indeed, it 
is much to be feared that many professors of religion are in danger 
of mistaking their speculative faith for that whose " end is the salva- 
tion of the soul." And if the distinction can be made more evident, 
by referring to the original, it is important to do so. 



OF Saying Faith. 123 

man needs to do something, he needs to under- 
stand what that something is. And though the 
Scriptures do not describe this faith exactly in 
literal^ they do in figurative language. They 
describe it as a seeking and finding of Christ. 
Prov. 8:17. As a coming to him for eternal 
life. — John 5 : 40. As ashing, seeking , and knock- 
ing. — Matt. 7:7. In these and other passages, 
the Bible teaches, that this faith involves the 
idea of an application to Christ, or rather to 
God through him. It is described also to be 
an acceptance of salvation, as offered in the Gos- 
pel — a ^''taking of the water of life freely." 
Rev. 22: 17. 

But the main element of saving faith is trust 
in Christ, for pardon and eternal life* It is 

* The same Greek verb expresses both kinds of belief. But in 
doing so, it does not vary its meaning more than many English 
verbs. Love, for instance, is the exercise both of good will, and of 
approbation. And these are so different, that we may both love and 
hate a man at the same time. So, the meaning of to hear, to know, 
to call, and many other words, is equally variant. But we have 
said the meaning of Tigrsuoj is varied by the adjuncts [preposition 
and cases] that follow it. And such, too, is the fact with many 
English words. For instance, to hold a man means to keep him 
from getting away : while to hold to a man, means to be dragged 
along by him, or to adopt his opinions. And the meanings of many 
other words are in this way equally varied. 



124 Elements and Characteristics 

relying on him alone, as both able and willing 
" to save them to the uttermost, that come unto 
God through him." Heb. 7: 25. Able, be- 
cause " he is the propitiation for the sins of the 
whole world :" 1 John 2 : 2. And *' seeing he 
ever liveth to make intercession for them.'' 
Heb. 7 : 25. And willing, because he said 
" Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast 
out." John 6:37. And it is relying on him 
alone ; because, " Neither is there salvation in 
any other ; for there is none other name under 
heaven given among men, whereby we must 
be saved," Acts 4: 12. It involves, therefore, 
a renunciation of all other dependencies; es- 
pecially all dependence on our own works — 
^' Knowing that a man is not justified by the 
works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus 
Christ." Gal. 2: 16. 

Saving faith is very different, then, from a 
mere historic belief of what the Bible reveals 
respecting the Agent and plan of salvation. 
While those who have the latter only, will ven- 
ture nothing on Christ, they who have the 



OF Saving Faith. 126 

former, commit to him their everlasting alL 
Their reliance on him may be faintly illustrated 
by the following anecdote. A physician, on a 
very stormy night, had occasion to cross Cayu- 
ga Lake, in order to visit a very sick patient. 
And dangerous as was the passage, the ferry- 
man consented to attempt it, on one condition. 
It was, that the doctor should lie perfectly 
quiet, on his back, in the bottom of the skiff, 
and leave the entire management of the craft 
to its owner. The condition was complied with; 
and, consequently the passage safely made. 
Yet, had the physician not kept quiet, but in- 
sisted, in his fear or self-sufficiency, on helping 
the ferryman, the result would probably have 
been fatal. And so, if the sinner insists m doing 
part of the work of his redemption, he must be 
lost. If, then, we can understand what it is to 
trust ourselves entirely to the promise and 
power of our fellow men, we can understand 
what it is to rely entirely and alone on Christ for 
salvation. 

Many have speculative^ while they have not 



126 Elements and Characteristics 

saving faith. Yet they cannot have the latter, 
without the former. For, none can trust Christ 
for salvation who have no knowledge or belief 
of his existence and mission. Faith, we have 
seen, is coming to him for pardon and eternal 
life. But as " he that cometh to God," so he 
that cometh to Christ, " must believe that he is, 
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligent- 
ly seek him." Heb. 11 : 6. And, '' How shall 
they believe in him of whom they have not 
heard ?" Rom. 10 : 14. 

Some insist, that the first exercise of saving 
faith consists in believing that Christ died for 
us in jparticular ; and consequently that salva- 
tion is ours already. But this would be believ- 
ing without evidence, and therefore be pre- 
sumption, rather than faith. Nay, it would be 
believing what is not true. For we are not in 
a state of salvation, till we have faith : for 
Christ himself has told us, " He that believeth 
on him is not condemned : but he that believeth 
not on him, is condemned already, because he 
hath not believed in the name of the only be- 



OF Saving Faith. 127 

gotten Son of God." John 3 : 18. To believe 
on him " to the saving of the soul" is, according 
to the teaching of the text, to " believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ," so that we " shall be saved :" 
and not to believe we are saved already. The 
Scriptures teach us we are in danger of delusive 
hopes ; and therefore urge us to examine our- 
selves, whether we be in the faith. But if faith 
consists in believing we are saved, there is no 
possibility of our having false hopes. 

The distinction between speculative and sav- 
ing faith, which we have been considering, will 
aid us much in settling several questions, which, 
at some times and places, have been much de- 
bated. One is, whether faith is the Christian's 
first holy exercise. Many insist that it is so, 
because, as they allege, we must have some 
belief of God before we can either obey him, 
or repent of our disobedience. And it is in- 
deed true, that some intellectual^ historic belief 
of him, must go before these gracious exercises. 
But such a belief is not saving ; nor is it neces- 
sarily of a gracious or holy character. Here, 



128 Elements and Characteristics 

then, is no proof that saving faith is the first 
Christian exercise. 

Another question is, whether speculative faith 
enters into the essence of saving faith. Many 
who make a distinction between the two, insist, 
nevertheless, that ih.Q former is one of the ele- 
ments of the latter. And indeed such a notion 
seems to be taught in our Presbyterian Confes- 
sion of Faith. Under chapter 14 of Saving 
Faith, in Sec. 2, it says, " By this faith, a Chris- 
tian helieveth to he true whatever is revealed in 
the Word. But the jprincijpal acts of saving 
faith are, accepting, receiving, and resting upon 
Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and 
eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace." 
But I would say, the only acts of saving faith 
are, accepting, receiving and relying upon 
Christ alone, et cet. It seems plain to me, that 
speculative faith is as distinct from saving faith 
as love is from either of them. On the one 
hand, I love Christ, because I believe his char- 
acter is lovely. But who would think of saying 
my belief of his excellent character- is a part 



OF Saving Faith. I3a 

of my love. I may be convinced of his loveli- 
ness without loving him. And on the other 
hand, I trust in Christ for salvation, because I 
believe he is trustworthy. Who, then, should 
insist that my belief of his ability and willing- 
ness to save is a part of my actual trust in him ? 
I may believe him trustworthy, and yet not be 
willing to trust him. And if I afterwards do 
trust him, this is another and altogether differ- 
ent exercise from that of judging respecting 
the character of Christ. The truth is, that sav- 
ing faith is full reliance on the Son of God for 
salvation ; nor is it anything else. And the 
more completely it is separated in our minds 
from every other kind of faith, the better. For, 
then we can understand it ourselves, and make 
others understand it more easily ; thus avoiding 
that indistinctness which has been to many so 
ruinous. 

But the characteristics of saving faith should 
also share our exact attention. For we need 
their aid in keeping ourselves and others from 
fatal delusion on this subject. We have already 



130 Elements and Characteristics 

had occasion to remark, that the grand pecu- 
liarity of this faith is, that Christ is its only oh- 
ject^ and salvation its only end. While, in order 
to secure salvation, we must have ^^ repentance 
toward God,^^ we must have ^^ faith toward our 
Lord Jesus Christ:'' Acts 20 : 21. Old Testa- 
ment saints had to look darkly through a glass 
of types and shadows, believing on a Savior to 
come ; while we look back through Gethsemane 
and Calvary, and ^' behold the Lamb of God," 
who has long since been offered there, to "take 
away the sin of the world." There is much 
faith of reliance on other beings. There is 
much, and there should be more in God, the 
Father, and for various purposes. But the pe- 
culiarity of saving faith is, that it is a reliance 
on God, the Son, for pardon and eternal life, 
through his atoning blood. 

Another characteristic of this faith is, that it 
is always and altogether voluntary. Not so with 
that which is speculative. We are often com- 
pelled to believe what we wish to 6?/sbelieve. 
Often, too, are we unable to believe what we 



OF Saving Faith. 131 

wish to think is true. And in many cases our 
belief is but indirectly voluntary. Our likes and 
dislikes to certain facts or propositions, bias and 
warp our minds, so that we receive or reject 
them according to our inclinations. But they 
do so, by causing us to dwell longer on the tes- 
timonies that are welcome, than on those that 
are unwelcome to us: and thus the agreeable 
ones make too much, and the others too little 
impression on our minds ; thereby misleading us 
as to the balance of testimony. It is this alone 
that makes us accountable for our opinions aud 
principles. But saving faith is always a direct 
and simple act of choice. Pardon and eternal 
life are offered us on the single condition of 
our willing reliance on Christ for them. And 
we either choose or refuse the offer. If, then, 
we comply with the condition, by exercising 
faith in Christ, it is simply because we choose to 
do so. It is true, that we must be prepared for 
this choice by a previous belief of Christ's abil- 
ity and readiness to save us. But this belief is 
speculative ; and saving faith follows it, as an 



132 Elements and Characteristics 

after and separate act — an act, too, not only 
distinct, but different, as we have already seen. 
And while the one is only an intellectual^ the 
other is a moral act 

Another of these characteristics is love to ho- 
liness and holy heings, Paul tells us, ^^ Faith 
worketh by love.^^ Gal. 5:6. And evangeli- 
cal Christians seem generally to suppose that 
love is a component part of this saving grace. 
But it is most evident that they are entirely 
distinct and different exercises. Loving Christ 
is one thing, and trusting him is altogether 
another thing; yet they always go together. 
Where saving faith is found, love will also be 
found. The absence of the latter is, then, full 
evidence of the absence of the former. 

It is often asked whether love to Christ must 
not precede faith ? And the right answer is, 
The presence of love is not at all necessary to 
speculative faith. And as to saving faith, it 
must precede it, or at least be simultaneous with 
it. As the impenitent love sin, they conse- 
quently hate holiness. They, therefore, hate 



OF Saving Faith 133 

Christ, not onlj for his intrinsic holiness, but 
because of his purpose and efforts to save them 
from sin itself, as well as from its punishment. 
Matt. 1: 21; Acts 3: 26. And one reason 
whj they refuse to rely on him for salvation is, 
they hate to be beholden for this favor to one 
whom, they dislike. While another reason is, 
they are loth to leave their cherished sins. 
Though a man have a painful and dangerous 
disease, he does not like to go for relief to a 
physician whom he hates. Much less will he 
go, if he loves his disease (as the drunkard 
does his appetite ;) and therefore hates those 
the more who are anxious to cure him. But if 
this enmity to holiness and holy beings be dis- 
placed by love to them, there will be nothing 
to hinder his casting himself upon Christ for 
deliverance, as well from the sins which he now 
hates, as from the wrath which he now fears. 
Love to holiness and holy beings is not only an 
invariable and necessary attendant on saving 
faith ; but is an important criterion by which 
to distinguish it from a mere intellectual belief; 



134 Elements and Characteristics 

since the one can^ and tlie other cannot exist 
without this holy love. And by this criterion, 
all should examine themselves, to see whether 
they are in the faith, or whether they are repro- 
bates. 

But as we are in danger of thinking we have 
love to Christ, while we have none, it is im- 
portant to name another characteristic of saving 
faith. It is, its activity. It ^''worketh by 
love." — Gal. 5: 6. And this distinguishes it 
from that speculative faith, which, being with- 
out works, is dead, and cannot save. — James 
2 : 14, 17. To them that savingly believe, 
Christ is precious. — 1 Peter 2:7. They will, 
therefore, be prompted by their regard to him, 
to please and honor him by obeying his com- 
mandments. He says, therefore, "He that hath 
my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is 
that loveth me." — John 14: 21. And Paul 
says, " The love of Christ constraineth us." 
2 Cor. 5: 14. He says also, " Love is the ful- 
filling of the law." —Rom. 13 : 10. And John 
says, " This is the love of God, that we keep 



OF Saving Faith. 135 

his commandments." — 1 John 5: 3. All, then, 
who love God, will be obedient. Literally 
speaking, it is love alone that prompts us to 
obey. Faith does it, indirectly, as Judas pur- 
chased the Potter's field. — Acts 1 : 18. It 
augments the love of believers. It makes 
Christ the more precious to them. And it in- 
creases their courage, by pointing them to "the 
Author and Finisher of their faith," who is al- 
ways willing and "able to succor them," and 
who will make them " more than conquerors," 
in all their conflicts. And the greater their 
love and courage, the more abundant their 
obedience. 

Saving faith is said, also, to "purify the 
heart." — Acts 15 : 9. And to " overcome 
the world." — 1 John 5: 4 Yet these opera- 
tions are but two branches of that one work 
which love is said to promote. " The love of 
Christ constraineth us" to avoid evil, because it 
is so offensive to him ; and to do good, because 
it is so pleasing to him on whom we rely for 
life everlasting." And it is by yielding thus to 



136 Elements and Characteristics 

the promptings of love, that we ^^ 'purify our 
hearts, by obeying the truth, through the 
Spirit." — ! Peter 1: 22. 

*'The world," which is said to be "overcome" 
by faith, is not this material planet, nor its in- 
habitants ; but its spirit, maxims, and practices 
— called in Scripture, " the lust of the flesh, the 
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life."- — 1 John 
2:16; or worldly pleasures, riches and honors, 
as well as " the course of this world." — Eph. 
2 : 2. The most decisive battle in this " good 
fight oifaW is fought, when we first renounce 
the world as a portion, and its God as our mas- 
ter; and when we first choose heaven as our 
portion, and the Lord Jesus Christ as our 
Prophet, Priest and King. Moses fought it 
most illustriously, when, "By/a^7^ he refused 
to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 
choosing rather to sufibr affliction with the 
people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of 
sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of 
Christ greater riches than the treasures of 
Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense 
ofthe reward." — Heb. 11: 24-26. 



OF Saving Faith. 137 

But a single victory, however signal, does 
not complete the conquest. The warfare thus 
victoriously commenced against " the world" 
not only, but the "flesh and the devil," must 
be continuously prosecuted against these van- 
quished, but not yet exterminated foes — a 
warfare lasting as life : for only " he that en- 
dureth to the end shall be saved." Yet none 
who commence this " good fight of faith " aright, 
will in any wise fail to " lay hold on eternal life " 
in the end. For all true believers will be 
" kept by the power of God through faith unto 
salvation." — 1 Peter 1: 5. 

Here then, in brief, is the nature of saving 
faith. It is not merely an intellectual belief 
of the faithful saying, " that Jesus Christ came 
into the world to save sinners ;" but the actual 
coming to him, that we may have life. — John 
6 : 40, It is not a bare belief of the promise, 
" Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise 
cast out," but it is the positive approach and 
application to him for the salvation which he 
promises to those only who knock at the door 



133 Elements and Characteristics 

of mercy. It is not believing that he knocks 
at our hearts, but an actual opening to him, — 
Rev. 3 : 20. Nay, rather, it is the acceptance 
of Christ, as the way^ the truth, and the life. 
It is " entering in by him, that we may be 
saved." It is not a mere historic belief of the 
momentous - truth, that salvation has been pro- 
vided for sinners ; but it is a coming to, and 
" taking of the water of life freely." It is a 
*' laying hold on eternal life." More literally, 
to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," so as to 
be saved, is to trust him. It is to rely upon him 
for pardon and eternal life, through the merit 
of his atoning blood. 

And here too, as briefly, we have those charac- 
teristics which distinguish this from all other 
kinds of faith. It has Christ, as the Savior, for 
its only object, and salvation for its only end. 
It is always voluntary, being invariably the 
direct result of deliberate choice. It is always 
associated with love of holiness, and holy beings, 
and through this love, it invariably prompts to 
evangelical obedience, thereby purifying the 
heart, and overcoming the world. 



OF Saving Faith. 139 

Thus end my efforts to simplify and elucidate 
the subject of saving faith. But I have not 
accomplished all I have aimed at, unless I have 
not only corrected some important and prevail- 
ing errors respecting it, and have removed much 
of that mist of indefiniteness which has too 
long enveloped it ; but have furnished my read- 
ers sufficient criteria by which to judge exactly 
what kind of faith they have, or must have, in 
order to be saved ! I would that I had made 
the subject more plain. Yet I cannot but think, 
that those who give this discourse a critical and 
candid attention, will be able to see whether 
they have a good hope through grace, and if 
they have not, what faith they have yet to 
exercise in order to eternal life. 

As, then, all must exercise a particular kind 
of faith, that they may escape eternal wo, and 
secure eternal blessedness, it is infinitely im- 
portant, that all who profess to be Christians 
should "examine themselves" — whether they 
be in the faith, or whether they be reprobates. 
—^2 Cor. 13 : 5. For, as " the heart is deceit- 



140 Elements and Characteristics 

ful above all things," and as there prevails 
much ignorance and error on this subject, it is 
to be feared that many are trusting for salva- 
tion to a faith no better than that of Simon 
Magus, who in some sort '^ believed," but who 
had neither part nor lot in this way of salvation. 
None should be satisfied with their hopes, how- 
ever long they may have cherished them, unless 
they are clearly conscious, that this way of 
salvation, through the atonement of Christ, has 
the full consent and desire of their hearts ; and 
unless they find their faith attended by that 
love to holiness and holy beings, which evinces 
itself by holy obedience. And all should 
" show their faith by their works" — James 2 : 
18, not only to convince others that they are 
Christians, but to show the fallacy of the infidel, 
and legal cavil, that the doctrine of salvation hy 
grace tends to encourage immorality. 

Especially is it important, that this subject 
should be duly examined by those who, as yet, 
are " without hope," and are living avowedly 
*' without God in the world." It is a matter of 



OF Saving Faith. 141 

infinite moment to such, that they understand 
precisely lahat kind of faith they must yet have 
in exercise^ in order to escape the final wrath 
of God. And I cannot but hope, that the fore- 
going remarks will be found to set this subject 
in a clearer, distincter light, than that in which 
it is often exhibited. Still, however, the im- 
penitent reader will need to give it much close 
attention, in order to an adequate understand- 
ing of it. He should ponder most solemnly, 
the momentous truth, " That there is none 
other name under heaven given among men, 
whereby we must be saved," but that of Christ, 
Acts 4 : 12 ; and that if he " neglect this great 
salvation, he cannot escape the damnation of 
hell." — Heb. 2 : 3. He should consider, too, 
that this coming to Christ, and this com- 
mitting of his salvation to him alone, must 
be a step of his own, and one most voluntarily 
and deliberately taken. And most especially 
should he consider the importance of taking 
that step without delay ^ as life and probation 
are utterly uncertain, and as every moment's 



142 Saving Faith. 

refusal to accept salvation abuses the grace, 
wearies the patience, and provokes the wrath 
of Him who offers it. If, then, he would en- 
sure eternal life, he should * 'believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ " without the least delay. 
For as he has "been often reproved," if he 
" hardeneth his neck" any longer, there is a 
fearful probability, that he will be " suddenly 
destroyed, and that without remedy." 



SERMON YI 



8ALYATI0N BY THE ATONEMENT 



AND NOT BY THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST. 



'' Believe on the Lord Jesus Chnst, and thou shall be saved^ — Acts 16 : 31 . 

In a former discourse on these words, we at- 
tempted to ascertain the nature of saving faith, 
and found it to be a reliance on Christ for par- 
don and salvation. In that discourse, it was 
occasionally yet briefly stated, that this reli- 
ance is not on the 'power^ goodness or truth of 
Christ, but on the atonement and righteousness 
which he wrought out for us by his " obedience 



144 Salvation by the Atonement. 

unto death." But, as many doubt whether he 
did die as our substitute, in order that we may 
for his sake be forgiven and saved, it is needful 
to give the question a more extended and par- 
ticular notice. And although the number of 
the quotations, and the compactness of the ar- 
guments require a close attention, it is hoped 
the importance of the subject will secure such 
attention. 

It is insisted by not a few, that we are saved 
wholly by virtue of the doctrines^ jprecejpts and 
example of Christ : and that his death was need- 
ful only to attest the truth and importance of 
what he taught : in other words, that he died 
only as a martyr to his doctrines^ and not as a 
sacrifice for our sins : consequently, that we are 
saved by virtue of our obeying his instructions, 
and following his example ; and not on the 
ground of his suffering in our behalf Nor will 
it be denied, that we must follow the instruc- 
tions and example of Christ, in order to be 
saved. For, " without holiness, no man shall 
see the Lord." And it was on this account 



i 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 145 

that he said, " Except a man be born again, he 
cannot see the kingdom of God ;" likewise, 
*' Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." 
And in another of these discourses it will be 
seen, that such reformation and sanctification 
are necessary, to fit us for the duties and enjoy- 
ments of heaven. 

But the work of our salvation consists, not 
only in sanctification, but in justification. In 
our native state, we are all sinful, guilty and 
condemned creatures. For " there is no man 
that liveth and sinneth not." And, *' the soul 
that sinneth, it shall die." '' So, death has 
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." 
We are all condemned for our sins, to eternal 
death. To be saved, then, is to be delivered 
from this condemnation. And how can this be 
done ? It is by justification. But " how can 
man be just with God ?" Or rather, how can 
God " be just in justifying the ungodly?" Not 
by a literal and legal justification ; for as man 
has sinned, God can neither mahe nor declare his 

past conduct to be just. It is not by undoing, 
7 



146 Salvation by the Atonement. 

or by denying their sins, that he '' justilieth the 
ungodly ; but by promising to treat them as if 
they never had sinned. This is evangelical, or 
Gospel justification ; and is allied, therefore, to 
pardon, forgiveness, or the remission of sins. 

But sometimes sinners are represented in 
Scripture as offenders against God, "condemned 
already;" and thus exposed to his indignation 
and wrath. And the work of their salvation is, 
therefore, represented as a projpitiation that 
pacifies the divine displeasure, and brings man 
into peace with his Maker. And for the same 
reason, it is called reconciliation. Sometimes, 
too, they are represented as in hondage^ being 
slaves to sin and Satan. And then their deliv- 
erance is represented as a redemption, ransom 
and purchase, by which they are " delivered 
from the bondage of corruption, into the glo- 
rious liberty of the children of God." The 
great question, then, is, How is this done? 
How do sinners secure jicsiijication^ pardon^ for- 
giveness^ remission of sins^ ijrojJiUation^ recoil- 
cilicdion^ rederaption and ransom f Is it by 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 147 

simply folio wing the example and precepts of 
Christ? What saith Scripture? I have search- 
ed extensively, to find one passage which seems 
to teach that sinners can secure them in this 
way, and searched in vain. But I find many a 
passage which teaches that they come by the 
atoning blood of Christ. Let us look at some 
of them. 

Let us look, first, at justification. This, we 
have said, is treating those as righteous who 
have no righteousness of their own. But this 
is done by applying to them the righteousness 
of another. It is called " the righteousness of 
God, and of our Savior Jesus Christ." — 2 Pet. 
1 : 1. It is God's, because he appointed it. — 
Eom. 3 : 25 ; 2 Cor. 5: 21, And it is also called 
the righteousness of Christ, because he provided 
it.— Hom. 10: 4; 1 Cor. 1: 30. And he evi- 
dently did it not by his instructions^ but by 
" giving his life a ransom for many." — Matt. 
20: 28. By "laying down his life for his 
sheep. " — John 10 : 15. And by being " made 
a curse for us." — Gal. 3:13; which he did, 



148 Salvation by the Atonement. 

when lie " bare our sins in his own body on the 
tree." — 1 Pet. 2 : 24 ; and this "righteousness 
is unto justification of life." — Rom. 5 : 18. 
" For he hath made him to be sin for us, who 
knew no sin ; that we might be made the right- 
eousness of God in him." — 2 Cor. 5:21. But 
how, if justification comes by our obedience ? 

And how are we to secure the righteousness 
thus provided. Not (as we saw in the previous 
discourse) by speculatively believing Christ's 
words; but by believing in himself. Saving 
faith is a trust in him which has a regard to his 
righteousness. It is therefore called " the right- 
eousness of faith." — Eom. 4 : 13 ; 10 : 4 ; 6 : 
10. And therefore it is, that justification on 
the ground of this righteousness, is also said to 
be of faith. "By him," Christ, "all that be- 
lieve are justifxd from all things from which ye 
could not be justified by the law of Moses. 
— Acts 13 : 39. "Therefore, we conclude a man 
i^ justified hy faith without the deeds of the 
law." — Rom. 3:28. " Therefore being justified 
hy faith^ we have peace with God through our 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 149 

Lord Jesus Christ. For when we were yet 
without strength, Christ died for the ungod- 
lijr — Horn. 5 : 1, 6. 

Said God of his Son, " By his knowledge shall 
my righteous servant justify many ; for he shall 
hear their iniquities.^'' — Isa. 53 : 11. But though 
we should suppose, that by knowledge, is here 
meant the teachings of Christ, we are not to 
understand by the passage, that we are justified 
simply by believing and obeying them. These 
instructions are necessary, not to justify us, but 
to teach us how we are to be justified, which is 
by his righteousness. And therefore it is added, 
"/or he shall hear their iniquities^'' since it 
was by bearing our iniquities in his own body 
on the tree, that he wrought out for us a just- 
ifying righteousness ; and in confirmation of 
this, we are declared to be justified freely, 
not by his teachings, but "by his grace through 
the redemption of Christ." — Rom. 3 : 24 ; and 
this is " redemption through his blood." — Eph. 
1 : 7. Accordingly we are told that he " was 
delivered for our offences, and was raised again 



150 Salvation by the Atonement. 

for OUT jicstificatiopJ' — Rom. 4: 25. And again 
we are directly declared to be "justified by his 
blood." — 5 : 9. We are also said to be justified 
without works and hy graced — Gal. 2 : 16; Ti- 
tus 3 : 7. All of whicli is completely incompat- 
ible with, justification by obedience to the doc- 
trines and precepts of Christ. 

But as we have said, justification is much the 
same as forgiveness or remission of sins. And 
this we are told is not because of our obedience 
to Christ's instructions, but " through his blood." 
— Eph. 1: 7. Col. 1: 14. Also "for Christ's 
sake, and "for his name sake ; " — Eph. 4: 32, 
1 John 2:12, which sake evidently refers not 
to our obedience to his instructions, but to his 
obedience unto death. And he tells us " his 
blood is shed for many, for the remission of 
sins."— Mat. 26: 28. 

Again, we have seen that sinners are regarded 
as under bondage to sin and satan, and their 
deliverance is spoken of as a redemption^ ran- 
som or jpurchase ; and the Scriptures teach us, 
that the price by which they are bought out of 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 151 

bondage, is not their obedience to the doctrines 
and precepts of Christ, but his own blood upon 
the cross. " Christ hath redeemed us from the 
curse of the law, being made a curse for us : 
for it is written, cursed is every one that hang- 
eth on a tree." — Gal. 3: 13. "In whom we 
have redemption through his hlood.^' — Eph. 1 : 7. 
" By his own blood he entered once into the 
holy place, having obtained eternal redemption 
for us." — Heb. 9 : 12. " Thou wast slain and 
hast redeemed us to Grod by thy blood." — Eev. 
5:9. " Redeemed — with the precious blood of 
Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without 
spot." — 1 Peter 1 : 18, 19. " Even as the Son 
of man came — to give his life a ransom for 
many." — Mat. 20 : 28 ; Mark 10 : 45. " Who 
gave himself a ransom for all.'' — 1 Tim. 2 : 6. 
In 1 Cor. 6: 20 ; 7 : 23; and 2* Peter 2: l] 
saints are said to be bought with a price out of 
the service of satan, into the service of Christ. 
And in Acts 20 : 28, the whole Church of God 
is said to be "purchased with his own blood." 
Yet again, we have seen that sinners are 



152 Salvation by the Atonement. 

under tlie wrath of that God who is " angry 
with the wicked every day ;" and that there- 
fore their salvation is a TeconGiUation or pro- 
pitiation. And how is this effected ? Not by 
the teachings, but by the death of Christ. Paul 
tells us, " that when we were enemies, we were 
reconciled to God by the death of his Son." — 
Eom. 5 : 10. '' And having made peace through 
the hlood of his cross^ by him to reconcile all 
things unto himself ; and you, hath he reconciled 
in the body of his flesh through death." — Col. 
1: 20-22. " Whom God hath set forth to be a 
jpropitiation through faith in his hlood,'''' — Eom. 
3 : 25. 

Beside the foregoing, there are many other 
passages of the word of God, which show with 
equal plainness, that Christ died, not as a mar- 
tyr to his doctrines, but as a sacrifice for the 
sins of men. His death was typified by the 
Jewish sacrifices, in which the blood of beasts 
was intended to represent that " blood " of 
the one great sacrifice, which "cleaoseth from 
all sin." They show, therefore, that he died to 



xNOT BY THE TEACHINGS OF ChRIST. 153 

make an atonement by which sinners might be 
saved. God said by Moses, "For the life of 
the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to 
you upon the altar, to make an atonement for 
your souls ; for it is the blood that maketh 
atonement for the soul." — Lev. 17 : 11. And 
according to the Jewish ritual, the high priest 
offered a bloody sacrifice for the people ; and 
then went into the most holy place to make 
intercession for them. And in allusion to this, 
the apostle says, "But Christ being come a 
high priest of good things to come by a greater 
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with 
hands, that is to say, not of this building ; nei- 
ther, by the blood of goats and calves, but by 
his own blood he entered in once into the holy 
place, having obtained eternal redem'ption for 
us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, 
and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the un- 
clean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, 
how much more shall the bl^od of Christ, who 
through the eternal Spirit offered himself with- 
out spot to God, purge your conscience from 



154 Elements and Characteristics 

dead works to serve the living God." - — Heb. 
9 : 11-14. And the same is reiterated in the 
next verse. The same is taught too, in Heb. 
7: 22-27; and 9: 24-28. Therefore said 
Christ, " This is my blood of the New Testament 
which is shed for many, for the remission of 
sins." — Mat. 26:28 And therefore, also said 
the apostle, " The blood of Christ cleanseth us 
from all sin." — 1 John 1 : 7. But what is the 
use of the blood of Christ, if all that is needed 
to secure salvation is to follow the instructions 
and example of Christ ? No, Christ is not only 
our Prophet to instruct us, but our High Priest 
to make atonement and intercession for us. 
And this he did when offering up himself on 
the cross, and ascending to heaven to be our 
"advocate with the Father." — Heb. 7: 27; 
1 John 2 : 1. 

So also was the paschal lamb of the Jewish 
ritual, "a shadow of things to come," while the 
*' the body is of Christ."— Col 2 : 17. John Bap- 
tist therefore said of him, " Behold the Lamb 
of God, which taketh away the sin of the 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 155 

world." — John 1:29. And Paul said of him, 
" For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for 
us." — 1 Cor. 5:7. It is said of Moses, (and 
the same is true of other Old Testament saints) 
that " through faiiJi^ he kept the passover, and 
the sprinkling of blood (on the door posts) 
lest he that destroyed the first-born (of Egypt) 
should touch them." — Heb. 11 : 28. For they 
looked through these types to Christ, the great 
antitype. And saints are now saved by faith 
in the '•'■ sprinMing of the blood of Jesus Christ. 
— 1 Peter 1 : 2. 

The foregoing facts furnish us abundant evi- 
dence, that men are saved by the atonement of 
Christ, and not simply by his instructions and 
example. But other considerations will be 
added. 

If we are saved solely by following the 
teachings and example of Christ, why is he so 
often said to die for us? In more than twenty 
instances is his vicarious death asserted. Out 
of these passages, let us look at one in particu- 
lar. It is found in 1 Thes. 5:9-10. '' For 



156 Saltation by the Atonement. 

God hatli not appointed us to wrath, but to ob- 
tain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
died for us.'' If we are delivered from wrath 
bj virtue of instruction alone, why are we said 
to be saved by Christ, any more than by other 
religious teachers ? And if he died only as a 
martyr, why was it added, " who died for us?" 
Why is not the same sometimes said of other 
martyrs, that they died for sinners ? especially 
Zebedee's children, who in Mat. 20 : 22, are 
said to suffer the same as Christ. And why 
indeed should he die at all, if his death was 
not needed to make atonement for our sins? 
If it be insisted that he died as a martyr, to 
attest the truth of his teachings, why do not 
the Scriptures sometimes say so ? Why in 
more than a score of instances do they say, he 
died for us^ and never that he died for the 
truth?* And why do they say so often, that we 
are justified and redeemed by his blood, but 

*Isa. 53:8; Jolm 10 : 15, 17, 18 ; Rom. 5:6, 8 ; 1 Cor. 5 : 7 ; 8 : 
ll;15:3;2Cor. 5: 14, 15, 21; Gal. 1 : 4; 2: 20; Eph. 5 : 2-25; 1 
Thess. 5: 10; Heb. 2: 9; 9: 28; 1 Peter 2: 24; 3: ISj Rev. 5: 
9; 13: 8. 



Not by the Teachings of Christ 157 

never by his doctrines and precepts ? In other 
words, why is our salvation always referred 
directly to his death, and never to his doc- 
trines ? Can we believe that if his death were 
a mere martyrdom, it would have been so often 
spoken of as if it were a positive sacrifice for 
sin? 

But again, what evidence is there that Christ 
did die as a martyr, any more emphatically than 
many others, or that he needed so to die? 
• The ostensible reason for which the Jews put 
him to death was, that he claimed to be the 
Son of God, thus " making himself equal with 
God." But those who insist that he died only 
as a martyr, generally deny that he claimed in 
this sense, to be the Son of God. Yet suppose, 
as some insist, he died to attest the truth of his 
teachings, of the fact that the Jewish economy 
was to give way to the Christian dispensation. 
Why, then, is it not directly said so ? And if 
he really did die for this purpose only, why are 
not Stephen, the apostles and other martyrs to 
be called saviors^ as well as Jesus of Nazareth ? 



158 Salvation by the Atonement. 

Many of them taught the truth as much, and 
as successfully as he did. Nor were a few- 
sanctified through it before his death. His 
death, then, was not essential to give this truth 
a saving efficacy. It was indeed additional 
proof of the truth of his doctrines. But they 
had sufficient support, independent of this. 
The apostles therefore refer to his death, as an 
offeiing for sin^ and not as a proof that his in- 
structions are true. 

But it is moreover said, that the death of 
Christ, and his consequent resurrection, was 
needful to confirm his doctrine of the resurrec- 
tion of all men. Yet the man Christ Jesus, 
was not the first to teach this doctrine. It was 
believed by Abraham, Heb. 11 : 19 ; by the 
Pharisees, Acts 23 : 8 ; 24 : 15 ; and by Martha, 
John 11 : 24. And Christ spoke of it as an 
old and established truth, confirmed by the 
divine declaration, " I am the God of Abraham, 
and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." 
For he added, " God is not the God of the 
dead, but of the living." — Mat. 22: 30-32. 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 159 

What proof, then, was necessary to support 
this already established doctrine ? And if 
more was needed, did he not furnish it by 
raising the daughter of Jairus, the son of the 
widow of Nain, and Lazarus ? And if more 
yet was needed, was it not furnished by the 
resurrection wrought by Elijah ? — 1 Kings 17 : 
22, by Peter, Acts 9 : 40, and by Paul, Acts 20 : 
10. 

It is true that the resurrection of Christ is 
proof of the resurrection of all men. And 
Paul so employed it with the Corinthians. But 
the doctrine is adequately established without 
it. Nor is this doctrine essential to salvation. 
Men may believe it, and still be lost ; and 
others may disbelieve it, and yet be Christians. 
— 1 Cor. 15 : 11-17. The fact of Christ's 
resurrection is essential to our salvation, only^ 
as he could not otherwise have become our 
Advocate with the Father, 1 John 2:1, nor 
have been exalted as a Prince and a Savior to 
grant repentance and remission of sins. — Acts 
5 : 31. And it is on this account that he is 



160 Salvation by the Atonement. 

said to be " delivered" as a sacrifice " for our 
offences, and raised again for our justification.^^ 
— Rom. 4 : 25. 

Again, if Christ sustains no other relation to 
his people, than that of teacher^ I see not why 
they are so often said to be '-'•in him^^^ as they 
are said to be, more than twenty times in the 
New Testament. It cannot mean that they 
abide in the doctrines and precepts of Christ, 
for that would rather be, to have him in them- 
selves. And so indeed has Christ himself ex- 
pressed it. He says, "Abide in me, and I in 
you. If ye abide in me, and my tuords abide 
in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall 
be done unto you." — John 15 : 4, 7. And in 
allusion to these words, John says, " Let that, 
therefore, abide in you, which ye have heard 
from the beginning." That is, the words of 
Christ. " If that which ye have heard from 
the beginning, shall remain in you, ye also shall 
continue in the Son and in the Father." — 1 John 
2 : 24. Evidently, to have Christ in tcs^ or to 
have his icords abiding in us, is to be sanctified. 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 161 

For lie says to his disciples, " Now ye are clean 
through the word which I have spoken unto 
you." — John 15 : 3. And he prays his Father 
to " sanctify them through the truth." — 17 : 17. 
What is it, then, to be in Clwist^ but to be justi- 
fied f Who can those be, who are ''dead in Christ 
or " sleep in Jesus," and whose life is hid with 
Christ in God. — 1 Cor. 15 : 18 ; 1 Thess. 4 : 14, 
16 ; Col. 3 : 3. Who can they be, but those 
who have been redeemed to God by the blood 
of his Son ? Accordingly they are said to be 
both in Christ and in God. — 1 Thess. 1:1; 
2 Thess. 1 : 1. Accordingly, also, the Son 
prays the Father for them, " that they be one 
in usy But if he sustains no relation to them, 
except that of a teacher, what propriety can 
there be in saying they are in him, in the same 
sense as they are in God ? 

Again, if Christ is only the teacher of his peo- 
ple, why, in more than a score of instances, do 
the apostles invoke his peace, mercy and grace 
upon them ? " The grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ be with you." What grace has a mere 



162 Salvation by the Atonement. 

teacher to impart, especially, if, as some sup- 
pose, lie is a mere man ? Often the invocation 
is, " Grace be unto you, and peace from God 
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." And 
sometimes it is, " Grace, mercy, and peace from 
God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, our 
Savior." — Titus 1 : 4. But how can a mere 
teacher bestow grace, mercy and peace ? And 
what propriety in speaking of Christ as being 
equally a dispenser of peace and grace with 
God the Father, if he be only a teacher of 
truth ? 

Finally, if Christ is only their teacher, why 
are his people said so often to call upon him ? 
— Acts 9: 14; Eom. 10: 12, 13; 1 Cor. 1: 
2;2 Tim. 2 : 22. Why call on him more than 
any other teacher ? And why should they be 

baptized in the name of Christ together with 
the Father and the Holy Ghost ? Why not as 
properly be baptized in the name of Paul? 

It is true, that Christ and his apostles taught 
the way of salvation more clearly than it was 
ever taught before ; and that this entitles their 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 163 

instructions to be called " the Gospel of the 
grace of God, which bringeth salvation." It 
is true, also, that we must be saved according 
to these instructions. But the essential glory 
of this Gospel, is that it teaches salvation by 
faith in the vicarious death and atoning hlood of 
Christ, and justification by the blood-bought 
righteousness and redemption, and propitiation 
of Christ ; all of which the apostle expresses 
in a single passage : " Bemg justified freely by 
his grace, through the redemjotion that is in 
Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a 
propitiation through faith in his hlood^ to de- 
clare his righteousness for the remission of sins 
that are past." — Eom. 3: 24, 25. And who- 
ever leaves out this momentous truth, "preaches 
another Gospel." 

But there is another error against which we 
need to guard — an error which is often more 
of the heart than of the head. It is a reliance 
for salvation on our oiun merits. Men are nat- 
urally much inclined to self-justification. Even 
when convinced of their exposure to wrath for 



164 Salvation by the Atonement. 

their sins, they strive to escape from it by their 
OAva good works, nay, by abstaining from a few 
former transgressions. They often begin by 
partial and external reformations, and seem 
to think, that by leaving off a few of their 
greatest sins, they can make amends for the 
innumerable offences of past life. And finding 
this insufficient, they resolve on a more thor- 
ough reformation. Or on finding that absti- 
nence from outward sins is not enough, they 
attempt the discharge of positive duties, such 
as reading the Bible, attending church, and 
perhaps secret prayer. The first aim of awa- 
kened sinners, is to do something by which 
they will deserve pardon and salvation. And 
even after they are rationally convinced of the 
impossibility of their doing so, their hearts 
still cling so much to this notion of justification 
by works, that they are in danger of still rely- 
ing on them for eternal life. On this account, 
it is needful to make their insufficiency as evi- 
dent and striking as possible'. 

A correct view of the moral IojW^ will show 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 165 

conclusiveij, that salvation by our own good 
works is utterly impossible. By this lavf, I 
mean our rule of duty to God and man, as 
taught, both by nature and by revelation. Con- 
cerning it, Paul says, " For as many as have 
sinned without [the revealed] law, shall also 
perish without law — for when the Gentiles 
which have not the [revealed] law, do by 
nature the things contained in the law, these 
having not the [revealed] law, are a law unto 
themselves^ which show the works of the law 
written in their hearts^ their conscience also bear- 
ing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile 
accusing or else excusing one another." — Rom. 
2 : 12, 14, 15. All the requirements of this 
law are summed up in the commandments to 
love God with all the heart, soul, and mind, 
and to love our neighbor as ourselves. — Matt. 
22: 37-40. And these require our entire smd 
constant obedience. Every moment of our 
lives are we required to do all we can for the 
glory of God and the good of man. If, then, 
we fail to do it at one time, we cannot make 



166 Salvation by the Atonement. 

amends at another time. As " cursed is every 
one that continueth not in all things which are 
written in the book of the law to do them." — 
Gal. 3 : 10. A single instance of failure ex- 
poses us to final wrath. " For whosoever shall 
keep the whole law, and yet offend in one 
point, he is guilty of all." — Jas. 2 : 10. That 
is, he as completely fails of salvation by the 
deeds of the law, as if he had broken every 
precept, although his punishment will be in 
proportion to the number and aggravations of 
his offences. We cannot make amends for the 
past, by " works of super-errogation," for while 
we would be making up for past defects, we 
need all our time for present duty. But even 
if we could do more service at any time, than 
we are bound to render, we have no proof that 
God would accept of it as a satisfaction for the 
past. Nor could we reasonably expect him to 
do so. As a citizen owes entire obedience to 
the laws of the State, no after act of obedience 
by him, can make amends for a previous act of 
theft, counterfeiting, perjury or murder. And 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 167 

so withasubject of God's moral government. 
He owes ten thousand talents, and has nothing 
to pay. If saved at all, it must be by grace, 
and not by works. Let me further illustrate. 

I am a tenant ; I have rented a place for a year, 
for which I am to pay ten dollars per month, 
it being all I can earn over my other expenses. 
But for the first six months I have paid no rent, 
and have spent all my money for evil purposes. 
Yet I come to my landlord and promise to be 
punctual in paying the rent of the six months 
remaining^ with the expectation that he will be 
satisfied, and at the end of the year will give 
me up my contract. Will he do so ? No ; at 
the end of the year I shall have paid him but 
sixty dollars, whereas I should have paid him 
one hundred and twenty. My punctuality for 
the last half of the year, will have made him 
no amends for the failure of the former half. 

Again, I am an agent. Property has been 
put into my hands, a part of which I have 
wickedly squandered. I am accused, and con- 
fess ; but I promise to make a full satisfaction. 



1G8 Salvation by the Atonement. 

And then I proceed to hand over to my cred- 
itor, the rest of the property with which he 
has entrusted me. "What!" he says, " do you 
mean to insult me by attempting to pay 
what you owe me, with what is already mine ?" 
Yes, it is in just this insulting way that the self- 
righteous are hoping to appease the wrath of 
their offended God. And it is indeed strange, 
that any who understand the principles of law 
or of righteousness, should hope to be saved 
by works. 

But the moral law of God is a cHmiiial code^ 
and punishes all sin, as the law of the land 
punishes all crime. Neither code will allow 
the offender to escape the punishment of past 
transgressions by future obedience. What 
would you think of a thief or robber who 
should insist that he ought to be saved from 
the penitentiary, because that, after plundering 
awhile the property of his neighbors, he at 
length abstained from doing so? And what 
would you think of a murderer who should 
insist that he ought to be saved from the gal- 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 169 

lows, because that, after taking the lives of 
many, he had afterwards spared the lives of 
others ? You would say they were most un- 
reasonable and preposterous. Yet they are no 
more so than those are who hope to be saved 
from the punishment of past sins, by future 
obedience. 

But we are not left to learn from inferences 
alone, the impossibility of salvation by our 
own merits. We are taught it by many a posi- 
tive and direct declaration of God's holy 
word. Take the following from the apostle 
Paul : " And by him, [Christ,] all that believe 
are justified from all things from which ye 
could not be justified by the law of Moses." — 
Acts 13 : 39. "By the deeds of the law there 
shall no flesh be justified in his sight ; for by the 
law is the knowledge of sin.* Therefore we 
conclude that a man is justified by faith witfi- 

*The law mentioned in this and subsequent passages, is not the 

ceremonial^ but the moral law ; that law whose transgression is sin, 1 

John 3:4; and by which, therefore, is the knowledge of sin, Rom. 

3 : 20 ; that law which worketh wrath, and without which there is 

no transgression, 4 : 16 ; none of which is true respecting the cere- 

manud law. 
8 



170 Salvation by the Atonement. 

out the deeds of the law." — -Rom. 3 : 20, 28. 
''Knowing that a man is not justified by the 
works of the law^ but by the faith of Jesus Christ 
— - for by the works of the law shall no flesh be 
justified^'' — Gal. 2 : 16. "As many as are of 
the works of the law, are under the curse — but 
that no man is justified by the law^ in the sight 
of God, is evident, 3 : 10, 11 ; '' For by grace 
are ye saved through faith, and that 7iot of your- 
selves : it is the gift of God. JSfot of icorks^ lest 
any man should boast. " — Eph. 2: 8, 9. "Who 
hath saved us — not according to our works^^^ 
2 Tim. 1:9; "Not by works of righteousness 
which we have done, but according to his 
mercy he saved us." — Titus 3 : 5. And the 
numerous passages which assert that the elec- 
tion, justification and salvation of saints are "6?/ 
^race," are so many declarations that they are 
not saved by the deeds of the law. For says 
Paul again, " And if by grace, then it is no 
more of works ; otherwise grace is no more 
grace. But if it be of works, then is it no 
more grace ; otherwise, work is no more work." 



Not by the Teachings of Christ 171 

— Eom. 11 : 6. In short, nothing is more pos- 
itively and plainly taught in the Scriptures, 
than that sinners are not saved by their own 
works, but wholly by the forgiving grace of 
God, through the atoning blood of his Son. 
How woful are the prospects, then, of those 
who refuse to renounce their own righteousness, 
and to accept salvation through the righteous- 
ness of Christ ! 

My impenitent friends, I have been the more 
anxious to expose the foregoing errors, because 
they are the shoals on which many have made 
shipwreck, and on which you are in danger of 
doing the same. For while it is true that you 
must follow the example and instructions of 
Christ, and *' be careful to maintain good 
works," in order to be saved, yet, if you trust 
to these things alone, you will be lost forever. 
And while you must have a righteousness ex- 
ceeding that of the Scribes and Pharisees, yet 
it must not be " your own righteousness, which 
is by the law,'' but that of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. The work of earning your salvation, 



1.7-2 Salvation by the Atonement. 

and tlius of deserving it, is what you cannot, 
need not do. Christ has done it for you. And 
if you will accept his righteousness as a substi- 
tute for your own, you can be saved. But if 
you refuse it, as you are so much inclined to 
do, you must be inevitably lost. And not only 
must you rely on the righteousness of Christ 
for justification before God, but you must rely 
upon it wholly. It is as unwise as it is unavail- 
ing, for you to try to recommend yourself to 
his favor by reformation, or by any religious 
performances, as if you would divide with 
Christ the work of your redemption. He will 
give no part of this glory to another. He 
must be " all in all," or nothing. You might 
as well neglect your salvation entirely, as to at- 
tempt to do a pari of it, and then depend on 
bim to make up your deficiency. He will do 
the whole work or none of it. Nothing is more 
displeasing to God than to have you urge your 
own righteousness upon him, either in whole 
or in part, after he has so often and positively 
declared, that he will not accept it. 



Not by the Teachings of Christ. 173 

Let us all beware how we relj in any degree 
upon our own merits for eternal life. Let us 
look only to Christ, as the end of the law for 
righteousness to every one that believeth ; for 
neither is there salvation in any other : while 
"redemption through his blood" is a "plente- 
ous redemption." And it is only by relying on 
this, that the sinner can " believe to the saving 
of the soul. 



SERMON YII 



TEE NATURE OF REPENTANCE 



^* For Godly sorrow worJceih repentance to salvation, not to be repented 
of ; but the sorrow of the world worketh death J^ — 2 Cor. 7 : 10. 



The subject of repentance is one of vast im- 
portance. And it demands the more attention, 
because of the diverse opinions, and of the many 
confused and loose notions which are taught re- I 

specting it. It is to be feared that many, by I 

wrong notions of it, are lost forever ; and that | 

others, by their obscure and indefinite views ' 

of it, are very much hindered and delayed, in , 



The Nature of Repentance. 175 

entering the way of salvation. Nay, it is much 
to be feared, that many a Gospel minister has 
not that clear and correct, that distinct and 
simple view of the subject which he needs, in 
order to direct the inquiring sinner most easily 
and most successfully into the gate of life. By 
confounding the single element of repentance 
with other things, he needlessly confuses and 
perplexes the mind of those who are asking 
the way to Zion. And if any doubt this, he is 
requested to give the more earnest attention 
to what follows. For one object of this dis- 
course is, to point out what / regard as some 
of the common and pernicious errors on this 
subject. And while I would earnestly entreat 
the Lord to keep me from teaching what is 
wrong respecting it, I would humbly ask of 
others a candid, close attention. I ask it, both 
of those who profess to teach, and of those who 
need to be taught the right way of the Lord. 
I proceed now to consider, 

The Nature of ^^ rejjentance to salvation.''^ 
The definition of repentance usually given 



176 The Nature of Repektance, 

is, " sorrow for sin.'' And many are led by it 
to conclude that, as thej have some compunc- 
tion and fear, on account of their transgressions, 
the J have all the repentance that is necessary 
to salvation : whereas, they have only that "sor- 
row of the world," which, as the text teaches 
us, " worketh death." They have only that 
Mnd of distress which the convicted murderer 
feels when he would readily repeat his crime, 
if, by taking the life of his jailor, he could es- 
cape from prison and from death : the same, 
too, that the lost will forever feel, in the world 
of woe. 

To guard against this danger, many theolo- 
gians distinguish repentance into legal and 
evangelical : " Legal repentance flows," they 
say, " from a sense of danger and a fear of 
wrath ; and produces but partial external ref- 
ormation ; and continues for a short season : 
whereas, evangelical repentance is true sorrow 
for sin, and a desire to get rid of it ; and even- 
tuates in a change of heart and life." The 
former they would call "the sorrow of the 



The Nature of Repentangb. 177 

world," and the latter, the "godly sorrow" 
mentioned in the text. But with all due re- 
spect for these theologians, I must think their 
distinction is insufficient. And the difference 
they would express is better ascertained by 
considering the different meaning of the two 
Greek words translated '' repentance.^^ 

Those who insist that evangelical repentance 
is godly sorrow for sin, are relying on our text 
for proof. But it proves the very contrary. 
It proves, that the two, (sorrow and repentance,) 
are as distinct as cause and effect; for the one 
produces the other. " Godly sorrow worketh 
repentance." It would be just a3 correct to 
insist that " death''^ is the same thing as " the 
sorrow of the world ;" for in the latter clause 
of the text it is said, " the sorrow of the world 
worketh death." The same verb is used also 
in the next verse. " For behold this self-same 
thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what 
carefulness it wrought [worked] in you, yea 
what clearing of yourselves, yea what indigna- 
tion, yea what fear, yea what vehement desire, 
8^^ 



178 The Nature of Repentance. 

yea what zeal, yea what revenge." Does this 
passage prove that '' sorrow after a godly sort" 
is identical with carefulness^ indignation^ fear^ 
vehement desire and revenge ? Certainly it does, 
if the text proves that " godly sorrow" is the 
same as " repentance to salvation." By saying, 
in the text, that " godly sorrow worketh re- 
pentance," Paul evidently intended to teach, 
that such sorrow occasions or leads to it. Just 
as he said, Rom. 2:4, " the goodness of God 
leadeth thee to repentance." And does a thing 
occasion^ or lead to itself ? I once held the no- 
tion myself, that evangelical repentance was 
godly sorrow for sin. But it now seems strange 
to me, that I could thus have confounded those 
things which are so palpably distinct* 

* Blooinfield tells us, that the word which in the text is translated 
" worketh," signifies to work out, to effect, produce, be the cause or 
author of, and is u^ed in Rom. 4 : 15 : " The law worketh wrath." 
Are the law, and the wrath of God the same 1 Also, 5 : 3, 4: " Tribula- 
tion worketh patience — experience — hope." Do all these words mean 
the same thimg 1 He says, the same word means " to work, perform, 
practice, do," as in Rom. 2:9: "Every soul of man that doeth 
e\il." Is the soul of man the same as his evil deeds 1 And again, 
he says it means " to exhibit or manifest," as in 2 Cor. 12 : 12 : "The 
signs of an apostle were ^vrought among you." Were these signs the 



The Nature of Repentance. 179 

There are, in the Greek original, two words, 
with their derivations and variations, which our 
translators have rendered repent^ rejpented^ and 
repentance. One of them is fAsra/AsXoaai, metame- 
lomai. It is from a compound of M-s-ra meta^ with, 
and the impersonal verb f^>^^», melei, to care for, 
or to be troubled or anxious about. The com- 
pound expresses regret, or grief, sorrow or re- 
morse, about one's own conduct^ And I shall 
attempt to show that this word is never used 
to signify that repentance which is unto life. 
I can find only seven or eight instances in 
which it is used. Thej are the following : 

Mat. 21 : 29, 32. In the parable of the two 
sons, who were told of their father, "go work 
to-day in my vineyard," it is said, the first re- 
same as those wlio wrought them 1 Finally, he says it means " to 
form one for a purpose, to create," as in 2 Cor. 5:5: " Now he that 
wrought us for the self-same thing is God." Is the " new man " the 
same as he who made him such 1 

* MsTaiJ^3XoiJ.aj is analogous with 5 uvsjjw. Their prefixes, fjosra 
and guv both signify wit/i. And when in composition with their verbs, 
they signify icUhiiy one's self, 2uvsi(5w signifies to be conscious of; 
that is, to Icnovj v-ithin- oriels self. (And hence g'uvSiSsgig , the con- 
science.) So ^j^STctu^Xofxai signifies to be troubled within one's self; 
that is, about one's own evil thoughts and actions. 



180 The Nature of Hepentance. 

plied, " I will not ; but afterwards he rejjented 
and went." Then in applying this parable by 
way of reproof to the chief priests, Christ said, 
'' And ye, when ye had seen it, repented not, 
that ye might believe in him." 

The repentance of the son was evidently a 
mere self-reproach or remorse, for not having 
obeyed the reasonable command of his father. 
And at most, it could not have been that repent- 
ance which secures eternal salvation. So also, 
of the repentance mentioned in the second 
place. It is spoken of as connected with faith, 
but not with saving faith ; for as we saw in a 
foregoing discourse, "to believe to the saving 
of the soul, is to believe iii the Lord Jesus 
OhrisV But here the object of faith is John 
the Baptist. And in the original, the preposi- 
tion Sis " in " of our translation is wanting. As, 
then, this faith is not saving^ so neither can the 
repentance connected with it, be saving. 

Mat 27:3, " Then Judas, when he saw that 
he [Christ] was condemned, repented himself, 
and brought again the thirty pieces of silver 



The Natuee op Repentance. 181 

to the chief priests and elders." If Judas had 
had a " repentance to salvation," he would have 
gone not to the priests and elders, for he had 
done them no wrong ; but to Pilate, to entreat 
for the life of the Holy One whom he had be- 
trayed. Nor would he have gone out and 
hanged himself, v. 5. For suicide is not the 
fruit of " repentance to salvation," nor of godly 
sorrow. No; it is "the sorrow of the world 
that worketh death." Neither would the other 
apostles have said, "he went to his own place." 
— Acts 1 : 25. If his had been a " repentance 
unto life," " his own place " would have still 
been among the apostles, and right by the side 
of him who denied his Master, but afterwards 
" went out and wept bitterly." 

Rom. 11:29, "For the gifts and calling 
of God are without repentance^ This passage 
does not teach, as many suppose, that God 
grants eternal life to men before they exercise 
a " repentance to salvation," but, that when- 
ever he does grant the blessing, he never regrets^ 
and therefore never recalls it. And as the 



182 The Nature of Repentance. 

destitution of this repentance is affirmed of 
God, and not of man^ it cannot be that which 
is necessary to eternal salvation. 

2 Cor. 7:8, " For though I made you sorry 
by a letter, I do not rejpent, though I did re- 
penV^ It is most manifest, that the repentance 
of which Paul here speaks, is not that which 
secures eternal life. For the context shows he 
only meant to say, that when he found how 
much grief his letter occasioned the Corinthi- 
ans, he regretted, and perhaps blamed himself 
for having written it ; but that when he after- 
wards found how much good this same letter 
had done them, he ceased to be grieved for 
having written it. Surely, no one will say, that 
Paul exercised a " repentance to salvation " on 
account of a certain letter which he had writ- 
ten, a repentance which he had no reason to 
exercise. 

Heb, 7: 21, " The Lord sware, and will not 
repent. Thou art a priest forever, after the or- 
der of Melchisedek." All that is intended by 
this language is evidently this : that God will 



The Nature of Repentance. 183 

never be sorry or grieved, that he has made 
his Son the High Priest of his people. And 
surely God does not exercise that repentance 
which secures the remission of sins. Rather, 
if he did in this case repent, it would eventuate 
in the final condemnation of all those to whom 
the priesthood of Christ pertains. 

Yet another instance is found in the text. 
*^ Repentance to salvation, not to be relented 
of.'' The repentance mentioned at the com- 
mencement of this passage is indeed a saving 
grace. But this word, in the original, is very 
different, both in its etymology and meaning, 
from that which at the close of the passage is 
translated, "repented of" This latter word, 
like those seven instances before quoted, is de- 
rived from i^sTcqj.s'koiiai metamelomai ; and cannot 
be a " repentance to salvation." If it did occur, 
it must rather prove a repentance to damnation. 
And it is to be regretted, that words so differ- 
ent in their origin and signification had not 
been expressed by different words, in our 
translation. For in this passage, the apostle 



184 The Nature of Repentance. 

intended simply to say, that this repentance of 
the Corinthians was not to be lamented — that 
neither he nor they should regret it. 

These eight instances are all that I can find 
in the New Testament, where fASTo.agXo/xai meta- 
melomai is translated repent. But the other 
verb, ^«'S<ravo^w, metanoec?, and its noun, M-STavoia, 
metanoia, are found in more than eighty in- 
stances. It will be seen, that though this verb 
is somewhat similar to the other in structure 
and meaning, (having the same prefix, f^^^a, 
meta, and having respect to one's own conduct,) 
yet, that in other respects they are widely dif- 
ferent. MsraaeXof/^ai simply cxprcsscs pain in re- 
spect to our ]j(Mt conduct, while M-sTavosw has re- 
spect both to our past and/w^wre conduct. But 
they are more widely distinguished, in that 
the latter is often urged as a commanded duty^ 
as a jprerequisite to salvation^ and as that which 
is invariably connected with reformation ; while 
the former is never so employed. 

1. Those instances in which repentance is 
mentioned as a commanded duty, are found in 



The Nature of Repentance. 185 

the following passages : Mat. 3:2; 11: 20, 21; 
Mark 1 : 15 ; 6 : 12 ; Acts 8 : 22 ; 13 : 24 ; 19 : 
4 ; [Compare the last two passages with Mat. 
3:2;] Acts 17 : 30 ; Rom. 2 : 4, 5 ; [This is an 
indirect command, being a reproof for neglect- 
ing repentance.] Rev. 2 : 5, 16; 3 : 3, 19. In 
these passages it is mentioned sixteen times. 

2. Those instances in which repentance is 
spoken of as necessary to pardon, and thus to 
salvation, are found in the following passages : 
Mat. 9: 13; Mark 2: 17; and Luke 5: 32. 
[Compare with Luke 19 : 10 ;] Mat. 11 : 20, 21 ; 
Luke 10: 13; 11: 32; Mark 1: 4; Luke 3: 
3 ; 13 : 3, 5 ; 15 : 7, 10 ; 16 : 30 ; 17 : 3, 4 ; 24 : 
47 ; Acts 2 : 38 ; 3 : 19 ; 5 : 31 ; 11 : 18 ; 20 : 
21 ; 2 Cor. 7 : 9, 10 ; 2 Peter 3:9; Rev. 2 : 5, 
16, 21 , 22 ; 3 : 3. In these passages it is men- 
tioned thirty one times. 

3. Those instances in which repentance is 
mentioned as inseparable from reformation, are 
found in the following passages ; In Mat. 12 : 
41 ; it is said " The men of Nineveh r^epented at 
the preaching of Jonah." And from Jonah 3 : 



186 The Nature of Repentance. 

10, we learn that this repentance made them 
'' turn from their evil way." So the repentance 
mentioned in 2 Cor. 7 : 9, 10, wrought the re- 
formation mentioned in the next verse. And 
when in 2 Cor. 12 : 21, Paul said, "I shall be- 
wail many who have sinned already, and have not 
repented of the uncleanness and fornication, and 
lasciviousness which they have committed," he 
evidently intimates that the want of reforma- 
tion among the Corinthians would be evidence 
of their want of repentance. And when he 
said in 2 Tim. 2 : 25, *'If God peradventure 
will give them repentance to the acknowledging 
of the truth^^'' he evidently means thsit practical 
acknowledgment of it, which involves reforma- 
tion. So, when in Heb. 6 : 1, he speaks of re- 
pentance from dead works, he must mean that 
which leads away from works deserving death. 
And when in verse 6 he says it is impossible 
" if these shall fall away, to renew them again 
to repentance^'- he evidently speaks of a repent- 
ance that would eventuate in the restoration of 
these fallen ones to their former state. 



The Nature of Repentance. 187 

In Heb. 12 : 17, it is said of Esau, that *' he 
found no place of repentance^ though he sought 
it carefully with tears." Yet he did not seek 
this repentance in himself, as many suppose, 
but in his father. He sought to have Isaac 
change his purpose, and thus pronounce on him 
the blessing which he had previously pro- 
nounced upon his brother Jacob. But this 
could not be done. For though Isaac had 
conferred this blessing on Jacob by mistake^ he 
knew (probably by a new afflatus of the Spirit) 
that he had done it according to the purpose of 
God, and that therefore it could not be altered. 
Esau thought his father had done wrong, and 
therefore sought in him, that repentance by 
which he would correct his error. In Rev. 9 : 
20, 21 ; and 16 : 9, 11, we are taught that the 
reason why certain sinners did not forsake their 
wicked works, but continued to worship devils 
and to blaspheme God, and why they failed to 
give him glory was, that they did not repent. 
If then they had repented, they would in all 
these respects have truly reformed. Thus 



188 The Nature of Repentance. 

repentance is mentioned twelve times, as insepa- 
rable from reformation. 

Beside these, there are three passages in 
which the same word is used, where repentance 
is both enjoined as a duty, and virtually de- 
clared to result in reformation. Mat. 3 : 8, 
''Bring forth, therefore, fruit meet for reperd- 
ancey Luke 3: 8, " Bring forth, therefore, fruit 
worthy of repentance^ And Acts 26 : 19, 20, 
" I was. not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 
but showed, that they should repent, and turn 
to God, and do works meet for repentance." 
These fruits meet for, or worthy of repentance, 
as enjoined by John the Baptist, are evidently 
the same as the ^^ works meet for repentance" 
which the apostle Paul enjoined. They are 
the good works of holy obedience, which be- 
come^ and beft, and which belong to repentance. 
Genuine Gospel repentance will, then, be inva- 
riably followed by thorough reformation. 

Thus we find, that the words repent, repented, 
repentance and impenitent, are used in the 
New Testament but in seventy-one instances, in 



The Nature of Repentance. 189 

sixty-one of which thej are translated from 
fisravosw^ metanoeo, and in all such cases they 
designate a CJwistian gr^ace which is at once a 
commanded duty^ a condition of salvation^ and 
that which is invariably followed by reformation 
of heart and of life. Whereas they are trans- 
lated but in eight instances from H-STafAsxo/xaj, 
metamelomai, and in no one of these do they 
designate any one of these things. 

It is evident from the foregoing investigation, 
that the repentance required in the Gospel, is 
altogether different from that penance which is 
taught by Papists. For both the etymology 
of the words translated " repentance," and the 
connection in which they are used, plainly show 
that they are intended to express an internal 
exercise. Whereas, the penance of the Papists 
consists mainly in external action,^ 

* Papists tell us, "that penance consists in contrition for sins, the 
confession of them to the priest, and satisfaction." The latter two 
are external acts. But satisfoetion is that to which the name of pen- 
ance is principally applied. And this is declared by Dens, a Catholic 
author, to be " the voluntary endurance of punishment, as a com- 
pensation for an injury offered to God." This punishment is ap- 
pointed by a priest, and may consist of devotions, prayers, fastings, 
alms, and other austerities, at given times and to given amounts. 



190 The Nature of Repentance. 

metamelomai comes nearest in signification to 
their ijenance^ since its chief element is distress. 
And yet these are very different; for the one 
is distress only internal, and the other is mainly 
external. The one is grief, regret, remorse ; 
while the other includes some suffering, self- 
inflicted on the body or the outward estate. 
Besides, as we have seen, this so called repent- 
ance is not enjoined in the Gospel, nor is it 
named as a condition of salvation. It is true 
that fasting is sometimes enjoined; but that 
should not be called a penance^ for it is not 
required for the purpose of making satisfaction 
for past sins, but for the purpose of promoting 
humility, in order to render our prayers more 
acceptable and prevailing. 

We have seen, moreover, that the only re- 
pentance which is commanded as a saving 
grace is translated from M-sravojaj metanoia ; and 
that this is still farther in its meaning from that 
of penance. It has no necessary connection 

The above author gives many specimens of tasks and suiferings 
which the priest may impose on his penitents, as a satisfaction for 
their sins. 



The Nature of Repentance. 191 

witli distress or affliction. The root of the 
word is voor or voug, noos or nous, meaning the 
mind. And its simple signification is a change 
of mind^ or of purpose. It is, then, entirely 
distinct from external action, although like all 
other purposes, it leads to corresponding con- 
duct. 

It was probably by confounding these words, 
M-sraiasXofAai mctamelomai and M-s^-avosw, metanoeo 
that Papists were led to think they signify 
penance^ for they joined the distress of the 
former, with the promise of the latter, and 
thence insisted that self-inflicted distress is 
necessary to secure salvation. 

Besides, the repentance of the Gospel is the 
exercise of a moment^ while Romish penance is 
a protracted action, such as prayer or fasting for 
a given time^ walking on the hands and knees 
a given distance^ and the like austerities. Nor 
can we believe, that when Peter said to the 
multitude, on the day of pentecost, " Repent 
and be baptized, for the remission of sins," he 
meant they should do the prolonged work of 



19^2 The Nature of Repentance 

penance; for three thousand of them were 
received into the Church on that same dav. 
And indeed, if we were to substitute penance 
in the place of repentance, we should render 
several passages of Scripture incoherent and 
unmeaning. For, as according to the Papists, 
to do penance is to endure self-inflicted suiBFer- 
ing, Acts 20 : 21 would read, " self-infliction 
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus 
Christ ;" Heb. 6 : 4, 6, would read, ^' For it is 
impossible to renew them again to self -inflic- 
tion ;" and 12 : 17, " He found no place to afflict 
himself, though he sought it carefully, with 
tears." And the same rendering would make 
self-torture the gift of God, as in Acts 5:31; 
11 : 18, and 2 Tim. 2 : 25. 

M£«'af/-£Xofxa», metamelomai, as it seems to me, 
had better been rendered to grieve or to regret^ 
including remorse, or self-condemnation for 
having acted unwisely or wickedly. But as to 
fA£ravo£w, metanoeo, I can think of no word which 
would noio express its meaning, better than 
that into which it has been already rendered, 



The Nature cf Repentance. 193 

that is, " repent." The primitive meaning of 
this English word may not be what we call 
*' evangelical repentance." But words pass 
from primitive to technical or conventional sig- 
nifications, such as candidate^ humility^ sincerity^ 
virtue^ with many others. And thus have both 
fASravosco metanoeo and repent passed from their 
original to a precise theological meaning. It was 
"the mind of the Spirit," as I think, to fix on the 
former in the New Testament, the signification 
of '' repentance to salvation." For as we have 
seen, when such a repentance is mentioned in 
the original, this word, in some of its variations, 
is the only one which is used to express it. It 
should, therefore, be translated into that En- 
glish word, repent, to which we usually attach 
the like meaning; while metamelomai should 
have been rendered by some other word. 

Dr. George Campbell and others, insisted 
that what is rendered repent and repentance in 
our version, should be translated reform and 
reformation, "Reform, for the kingdom of 
heaven is at hand." "Godly sorrow worketh 



194 The Nature of Repentance. 

reformation to salvation." And they seem to 
think that this opinion is supported by those 
passages in which reformation is spoken of, as 
the invariable result of repentance. But such 
passages prove the very contrary, for they 
speak of reformation as something additional 
and subsequent to repentance : '' Repent, and 
be converted;" " Eepent and turn to God." 
And a thing cannot be added to itself; nor can 
it be contended that/cai, (and) in these passages, 
means even^ov that is^ as it does in some cases. 
*' Repent, ^/ifl^ is, be converted." Repent, that 
iSj turn to God, do works meet for repentance. 
Besides, to " be converted, to turn to God, 
and to do works meet for repentance," is to 
reform. And reformation cannot be meet for, 
fitting or suitable to itself Again, as we have 
before seen, the " works meet for repentance " 
which Paul enjoins, are the same as the " fruit, 
meet for or worthy of repentance," which John 
Baptist enjoined. But the fitting fruits of 
a thing, are its proper results, and are those 
things by which its nature or character is 



The Nature of Repentance. 195 

known. For, said Christ, '' The tree is known 
by its fruit." And " fruit meet for repentance " 
must be such after conduct as it should produce. 
What can it be, then, but amendment of life ? 
But as the fruit of a tree cannot be the tree itself, 
so the fruit of reformation cannot be reforma- 
tion itself. To repent, then, and to reform, are 
not the same. The one is a simple, internal 
exercise, while the other is manifold and exter- 
nal in its manifestations. 

I prefer to call repentance a resolution to re- 
form^ and reformation itself tlie carrying out 
of this resolve. '' Repentance unto life " is the 
fall purpose^ the fixed and final determination of 
the soul to forsake satan as a master, and the 
world as a portion ; and to take God as a Master, 
and heaven as a portion, and to do it for time 
and for eternity. The repenting sinner looks 
at sin and holiness in the abstract, and then re- 
solves, without reserve, wholly to forsake the 
former and to cleave wholly to the latter. But 
though I believe that " repentance unto life " 
consists in this simple purpose, to lead a new 



196 The Nature of Repentance. 

life, I must not be understood to deny that 
regeneration and godly sorrow, either precede 
or accompany it. I only deny that they are 
one and the same thing. 

The above, I think, is both a probable and 
Scriptural definition. It comports, so to speak, 
with the genius of the Gospel. As faith, which 
is one condition of salvation, is a simple, instan- 
taneous exercise, it seems proper that repent- 
ance, which is the other condition of salvation, 
should also be simple and instantaneous. And 
it needs to be so, in order to be adapted to the 
exigent necessities of the sinner : necessities to 
which the Gospel seems in all other respects to 
be adapted. Sinners are often in circumstances 
where they must comply with the terms of sal- 
vation in a moment^ or be lost. And if the 
preaching of Christ had been, "Except ye re- 
form^ ye shall all likewise perish," how could 
the thief on the cross have been saved ? What 
time had he for that reformation which includes 
a reconstruction of his habits ? And how can 
believers in the Lord Jesus Christ be saved, if 



The Nature of Repentance. 197 

We have seen that the word translated "re- 
pentance" signifies a change of mind. As, then, 
it is a mental change, it must be one of ojpinions 
or oi purposes. And as it is one that directly 
and decidedly affects the conduct, it is a change 
in the latter : a change from the former purpose 
of living on in sin, to a purpose, a full, a fixed 
and final determination to forsake sin, and to 
lead, henceforth, a holy life. 

This definition of " repentance" is evidently 
one of great importance. For it makes the 
subject more simple ; and clears away much of 
the mist by which, in the sinner's mind, it is , 
too often surrounded. It presents repentance 
as one simple exercise of mind, and not as a 
mixed multitude of external actions. It pre- 
seni;s it as the final choice between the treasures 
of earth and the treasures of heaven ; and be- 
tween a life of sin and a life of holiness. It is, 
then, a simple, instantaneous act of the mind, 
which can be the more easily ascertained. 
Whereas, if we consider it as consisting in ref- 
ormation, we raise the perplexing questions: 



198 The Nature of Repentance. 

How thorougli must it be ? and, How long must 
it continue, before we shall be entitled to sal- 
vation ? — questions not easily answered. But, 
if repentance is a resolution^ a determined pur- 
pose to reform, the question of our title to life 
can be answered far more easily. 

This resolution must, however, be in several 
respects perfect. It must have the full consent 
of the will, and reach to all our conduct. It 
need not be highly emotional. Enough that it 
is perfectly deliberate and decided. To repent 
truly, we must determine, without reluctance 
and without reserve, that we will strive faith- 
fully for life, to forsake all sins, and do every 
duty for life and forever. I say this the more 
particularly, because many awakened sinners 
resolve to leave some of their sins and to do 
some of their duties, which is by no means a 
"repentance unto life." Yet it is not to be 
expected, that this purpose, though ever so 
perfect, will at all times be completely fulfilled ; 
for the best of saints are imperfect, so that if 
a complete fulfillment were essential to salva- 



The Nature of Repentance. 199 

tion, none would be saved. But if our pur- 
pose of reformation be genuine^ it will be 
perpetual. We shall not abandon it because we 
fail in some cases to fulfill it. While lamenting 
our failures, we shall still be resolved to battle 
with our temptations and corruptions, till we 
get a final " victory through our Lord Jesus 
Christ." For though I say repentance is instan- 
taneous^ I do not mean that it instantly ceases, 
but that one moment's exercise of it secures 
salvation. God will see at once, whether our 
purpose of amendment is thorough and sincere. 
And if he sees it such, he will not wait to find 
whether we fulfill it. But taking, so to speak, 
" the will for the deed," he will grant us for- 
giveness at once, and ever after will afford us 
that sustaining and sanctifying grace by which 
we shall be "kept by the power of God, 
through faith unto salvation." And if we can 
see, that notwithstanding our many failures, our 
purpose of reformation is still abiding — that 
still we are anxiously striving to live a holy 
life, we may know that ours is a "repentance 



200 The Nature of Repentance. 

to salvation." It is true, that many who thought 
they had resolved to forsake their sins, have 
'' drawn back unto perdition." But such 
deceived themselves with only a half-way reso- 
lution. If they had come to the deliberate, 
unreserved, full-hearted determination which 
has now been described, they would have ad- 
hered to it through life. The best proof of 
"repentance unto life," is perseverance. 

If the view now taken be a correct one, it 
should certainly be adopted by all whose busi- 
ness it is to lead mankind into the way of life, 
as it would aid them to do their work with 
greater ease and success. For their hearers 
could more easily understand, and more safely 
follow their instructions. This purpose of a 
radical and entire reformation, though a com- 
prehensive, is yet a very simple one. And it 
is much easier to contemplate a single resolution 
to leave a life of sin for a life of religion, than 
to scan the nature, and measure the extent of 
" godly sorrow," or to investigate the manifold 
and multiform items of reformation. And sin- 



The Nature of Repentance. 201 

ners would be mucli more likely to " enter in 
at the strait gate," if they saw it distinctly, and 
knew they could enter it by a single bound, 
than they would, if it were covered with a 
cloud, and they did not know how far, and in 
what direction they must move to enter it. 

The Lord grant that all my readers may find 
and follow the "narrow way which leadeth 
unto life.'' 
9«' 



SERMON VIII. 



ADTEOK AND OBLIGATIONS OF REPENTANCE 



" Godhf sorrow loorheih repentance to salvation." — 2 Cor. 7 : 10. 

In a former discourse from these words, we 
endeavored to ascertain the nature of genuine, 
evangelical repentance. And in doing so, we 
had occasion to consi*der it as an oft-commanded 
duty, as necessary to pardon and salvation, and 
SiS inseparably connected with a thorough internal 
and external reformation. But these topics 
will need to be considered much more at large. 
And it is proposed to investigate the first of 



Eepentance. 203 

them in the present discourse. Our subject 
will be 

Tlie author and ohligation of " rejpentance unto 
lifer 

I undertake to show, that all are bound to 
exercise this repentance without delay. But 
here I shall be met at once with the frequent 
objection, that God is the great efficient au- 
thor of this exercise — that man in himself 
has no ability to repent^ therefore he cannot be 
bound to do so, till God comes and confers the 
needed power upon him. It is important, then, 
to remove this objection, before proceeding to 
the positive proofs of the obligation. 1^^ 

It will not only be conceded, but strenuously 
maintained, that God is the efficient agent of 
repentance. For this truth is evidently and 
frequently taught in his Holy Word. A few 
passages, however, will suffice to establish the 
point. When the high priest reproved the 
disciples for preaching Christ, " Peter and the 
other apostles answered and said, — the God of 
our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and 



204 Author akd Obligations of 

hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with 
his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior for 
to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of 
sins." — Acts 5 : 29, 31. And when the disci- 
ples heard what Peter related to them concern- 
ing the conversion of Cornelius and his com- 
pany, " they held their peace, and glorified God, 
saying, then hath God also to the Gentiles 
granted repentance unto life." — 11 : 18. And 
Paul said to Timothy, "If God peradventure 
will give them repentance to the acknowledging 
of the truth.''— 2 Tim. 2 : 25. In these pas- 
sages, God, the Father and the Son, are said to 
be the author of repentance, as they give and 
grant it. Yet it results more immediately from 
the influence of God, the Holy Spirit. 

But let it not be supposed that because it 
results from divine agency, it has no connection 
with human agency. Especially let it not be 
supposed, that because it depends in one sense 
on the will of God^ it can depend in no sense 
on the will of man. For, if we consider the 
revealed mode of divine agency on voluntary 



Eepentance. 205 

and moral beings, we shall be led to a different 
conclusion. Let it not be thought that when 
God gives the sinner repentance, its exercise is 
involuntary, or that it is a kind of creature 
which he makes and puts into man's heart to 
be active there — just as a watch-maker con- 
structs what he calls the movement of a watch, 
and puts it into a case to run therein ; and 
that, therefore, the sinner must wait till God 
sees fit in his sovereignty to come and put re- 
pentance into him, as it were, by some mechan- 
ical process and power. 

In producing repentance, " God worketh in 
us both to will and to do of his good pleasure." 
Phil. 2 : 13. He does not suspend our volition 
in the work, nor act irrespective of it. He 
acts upon it. The work to be done, is to bring 
man to will aright and thus to act aright. 
And in accomplishing this, two influences are 
brought to bear upon his volition. One is the 
instrumental agency of the truth, and the other 
is the effectual agency of the Spirit. The ob- 
ject of these combined agencies, is to bring 



206 Author and Obligations of 

the sinner deliberately and voluntarily to re- 
solve that he will forsake the way of sin, and 
walk in the way of holy obedience ; that is, to 
repent. It is to bring him to resolve freely in 
his own mind, that he will wholly reform in 
heart and conduct. And in coming to such a 
resolution, he is as deliberate and voluntary as 
in any other act of his life. 

Repentance, then, is the result of ^persuasion 
and not of force. That it does result from 
persuasion, we are taught by Christ in his para- 
ble of the rich man and Lazarus, in which he 
represents Dives as calling upon Abraham to- 
send Lazarus to warn his five brethren against 
coming to his place of torment, insisting that 
*' if one went unto them from the dead, they 
would repent:^'' to which Abraham replies, "If 
they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither 
will they be persuaded [that is to repent] 
though one rose from the dead." — Luke 16: 
31. 

God employs various means besides argu- 
ments for persuading men to repent.. One is 



Repentance. 207 

his judgments. Said the prophet, *' When thy 
judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of 
the world will learn righteousness." — Isa. 26 : 
9. That is, they will be persuaded, in the lan- 
guage of Daniel, ^'to break off their sins by 
righteousness," and that is to repent. Again 
the apostle says, that when God afflicts us, he 
does it " for our profit, that we may be parta- 
kers of his holiness." — Heb. 12 : 10. And all 
such sanctification involves repentance. An- 
other means is the bestowment of divine bless- 
ings. For, said the same apostle, " The good- 
ness of God leadeth thee to repentance. " — 
Eom. 2 : 4. Once, too, God employed miracles 
for this purpose. Christ, therefore, " upbraided 
the cities wherein most of his mighty works 
were done, because they repented not," Mat. 
11 : 20, thus teaching that such miracles should 
have persuaded them to repentance. But his 
most frequent means are his commands^ with 
their attendant warnings and promises. I shall 
not quote them here, as I shall have occasion 
to mention them in another connection ; and I 



208 Author and Obligations of 

would only say in respect to them, tliat these 
commands are often followed up by the most 
cogent urgency of motives, all of which would 
be utterly out of place, if as respects repent- 
ance man were a mere machine. 

But all these means are of themselves unavail- 
ing. The same prophet who said, that when 
God's "judgments are in the earth, the inhabit- 
ants of the world will learn righteousness," said 
on another occasion, "Why should ye be 
stricken any more ? Ye will revolt more and 
more." — Isa. 1 : 5. That is, your chastisement 
will only make you worse. Paul tells us that 
though the goodness of God should lead the 
sinner to repentance, yet " in the impenitency 
and hardness of his heart," he still "treasures 
up to himself wrath against the day of wrath." 
— Rom. 2 : 5. And Christ virtually declared, 
that where most of his miracles were wrought, 
there men failed to repent. — Mat. 11 : 20, 21. 
So it often eventuates, also, in regard to all the 
other persuasives. But how ? Not by want of 
ability on the part of the sinner, nor by want 



Repentance. 209 

of power in the means employed. The prophet 
spoke as if God's judgment should persuade 
the wicked to resolve on leaving their sins; 
and the apostle, as if his goodness should lead 
them to repentance. And surely they must be 
able to do all that they ought to do. Nor 
would Christ have upbraided those who saw 
his mighty works for not repenting, if their 
repentance were impossible. The failure in 
all such cases then, is owing to the want of 
disposition and not of power. 

How, then, are these means of persuasion 
made effectual? Evidently by the accompany- 
ing influences of the Spirit of God. But in 
what way the Spirit operates in effecting re- 
pentance, we cannot fully understand. We 
know, however, that it is in such a way as 
makes the means successful. I mean, that when 
a man is persuaded to do a certain thing, it is 
always out of regard to some supposed truth. 
The means of repentance, is the truth variously 
presented to the mind for the purpose of 
operating through the understanding on the 



210 Author and Obligations of 

heart — truth derived either from revelation or 
from the works and providence of God — truth 
brought to the mind by reading, hearing or 
reflection. This truth is, as Christ tells us, (John 
17: 17,) the word of God, by which men are 
sanctified ; and is that word of God which as 
Paul tells us, (Eph. 6 : 17,) is the sword of the 
Spirit. Wherefore, as Peter tells us, we are to 
'''"'purify our souls" (a work involving repent- 
ance) '' by obeying the truth through the 
Spirit." — 1 Peter 1:22. And when the Spirit 
plies our hearts, all we are conscious of, is the 
pressure of truth upon our minds — just as a 
man who is pierced by a sword feels only the 
weapon and not the hand that is thrusting it. 
Nor can I see why we are not just as free in 
yielding to the truth, when pressed by the 
Spirit, as when presented by a human agent. 

In order to be effectual, moral suasion needs 
only to be powerful enough to overcome the 
reluctance of the will. And when the will 
yields to the convictions of the understanding, 
does it not yield willingly f Does not the 



Repentance. 211 

Spirit overcome this reluctance of the will by 
making the truth in some way^ however inex- 
plicable, yet somehow^ perfectly convincing? 
And can we conceive of man's coming to a 
full resolution to return to God without a com- 
plete conviction, that it is both his duty, and 
in all respects best for him to do so, although it 
is contrary to his present inclinations ? And is 
he not just as free under the pressure of a 
perfectly convincing argument, as when under 
one of less power ? In other words, does per- 
fect persuasion destroy free agency ? Can any 
Christian call to recollection the consciousness, 
that, at the moment of repentance, his " will was 
either forced, or by any absolute necessity, de- 
termined to good." And if our present view 
of the Spirit's influence be correct, we see that 
in " working in us to will and to do of his 
good pleasure," Phil. 2 : 13, God does not set 
our wills aside, much less oppose them ; but 
works on them and through them, somewhat 
as man works on the will of his fellow man. 
Nor can I see why God may not accomplish all 



212 Author and Obligations of 

his purposes witli moral beings in this very 
way. 

But suppose it be said, the power of the 
Spirit is exerted at the ]3omt^ as well as at the 
hilt of the sword. Suppose it be thought, the 
Spirit goes in advance of the word, and pre- 
pares the heart to be effectually persuaded by 
the truth. And I will not object to the sup- 
position. Yet it strikes me that the Spirit must 
make some use of the truth, even in effecting 
this preparation of the heart for the final and 
successful reception of the truth. Just as he 
who addresses an audience endeavors, at the 
beginning, to awake the attention, and to con- 
ciliate the favor of those whom he is about to 
address.* So, the prodigal was prepared, by a 
previous consideration of his wretchedness, to 
look back to his father's house, and thus to be 
persuaded to the resolution, " I will arise and 

*In my attempts, in this discourse, to illustrate divine by human 
agency, let me not be thought to insist, that the one is a focsimile of 
the other. God's ways are so far above man's ways, that we cannot 
find out the Almighty to perfection. And all I would attempt in 
these illustrations is an approximate, not an exact and complete ex- 
planation of the methods of divine agency in these cases. 



Repentance. 213 

go to my father :" wliich resolution represents 
'' repentance unto life."* In this preparation 
of the mind, the Spirit gives no new capacity 
or power ; nor any increase of those already 
possessed; for none are needed. The sinner 
could be, and always would be rightly influ- 
enced by the truth, if he were rightly disposed. 
It is said, '^ This if is a mighty one.'' And it 
is so. But this want of disposition argues no 
want of natural ability. And all the Spirit can 
be supposed to do in giving repentance, is to 
promote a right disposition or " heart to it," 
as Solomon expresses it. And in doing so, 
there is no interference with man's free agency. 
This influence of the Spirit, is a AeZp rather than 
a hindrance. It aids us to resolve, just as we 
ought to resolve without such aid. It comes to 
our assistance, not because we are ivealc and 
cannot repent, but because we are luicked and 

* Some seem to think, that if God did not sometimes act on the 
human mind in the absence of truth, or at least aside from it, he could 
noi be truly a sovereign God. But I could never see the thing in 
such a light. I see not why he could not eifect all his sovereign 
purposes as well hj finite means, as upon man, a Jiiiite subject. Yet 
this is a deep which I do not profess to fathom to perfection. 



214 Author and Obligations of 

will not repent. Surely, then, we should not 
complain, that such aid is afforded us. 

Yet, with many, the doctrine of divine as- 
sistance is a very unwelcome one. Many op- 
pose it, because, as they think, it makes them 
out to be incapable of resolving aright. They 
say, we are able of ourselves, and need no help. 
To such, I would say : I know you are able, in 
such a sense that you are utterly without ex- 
cuse for not repenting. And as you can repent 
without the Spirit's aid, why not do so, and 
thereby show that you do not need this aid ? 
But, while left to yourselves, you will not re- 
pent. Every body sees you do not. You are 
conscious that you do not ; and also, that the 
only reason why you delay to repent, is, not 
that you cannot^ but simply because you freely 
choose to continue in sin. And by acting thus, 
you show that you do in one sense, need the 
aid of the Spirit, not to enable but to dispose 
you to repent. And will you first create the 
necessity, and then complain that efforts are 
made to relieve it ? 



Repentance, 215 

Suppose a man is the owner of a large plan- 
tation on the Mississippi river. The water is 
rising rapidly, and threatens to sweep away his 
crops and stock, himself and his family. And 
suppose he has a levee or embankment around 
it which is nearly completed, and which, if 
finished, would effectually keep out the water, 
and another day's work upon it would save his 
all. But either he is so lazy or reckless, or so 
fond of sport and pleasure, that he neglects to 
complete his levee, notwithstanding the en- 
treaties of his wife and family. At length a 
very influential friend comes in, warns him of 
his danger, and entreats him to finish his levee, 
nay, offers to assist him, and taking him by the 
arm, leads him to the spot. At length he con- 
sents ; and who could resist such urgencies as 
these ? The levee is soon completed, the man 
and his all are saved. What now should he 
say to the friend who so kindly interfered ? 
Should he say, " Sir, you have been very offici- 
ous. Did you not know that I was able to do 
this work without your intermeddling ?" Should 



216 Author and Obligations of 

he not 'rather say, "if it had not been for your 
aid and urgency, my all would have been lost; 
and I am under the greatest obligation to you, 
from the fact that I might and ought to have 
done this work without you ?" 

But our main business at present is not with 
those who deny and oppose the doctrine of 
divine agency in man's repentance, but with 
those who plead this agency as an excuse for 
remaining in impenitence. Many there are, 
who insist that they cannot take one step in 
the way to life everlasting, till the Spirit effect- 
ually moves them. And yet we have seen 
that they are voluntary and competent agents, 
who could repent without the Spirit's influence 
if tliey were willing ; and that all the Spirit 
could do for them, would be effectually to per- 
suade them to do what they might and should 
do without such influence. They must be 
conscious that they are free in choosing sin, 
and therefore could ©hoose the opposite. If 
we consider the operations of a man's mind at 
the time of hi;s repenting, wGj ^all see that he 



Repentance. 217 

acts as freely in this as in any other concern. 
He is conscious of no influence on his mind 
but that of the truth, though the Spirit be most 
powerfully plying it at the very time. He 
thinks on his ways as the Psalmist did, and 
turns his feet to God's testimonies. — Ps. 119 : 
59. He reflects and deliberates as the prodigal 
son did, " How many hired servants of my 
father have bread enough and to spare, and I 
perish with hunger." And then he resolves, 
*'I will arise and go to my father." — Luke 
15 : 18. He looks at things just as they are, 
and yet just as he might have seen them be- 
fore. He reasons correctly respecting them, 
just as he might have reasoned before. Then 
he comes to the deliberate conclusion that it is 
best for him to turn from the wrong to the right 
way ; and therefore resolves to do so. Nor 
does he in all this call into operation any 
powers which he did not possess before. 

It is often insisted that the sinner must al- 
ways choose, and act in accordance with his 

^permanent affections and inclinations y and that 
10 



218 Author axd Obligations of 

tliese must be clianged before he can clioose 
the way of life. But though we should admit 
this assumption, it would not follow that this 
preparatory change of the affections must be 
wrought without the instrumentality of the 
truth, and without respect to the sinner's vo- 
lition. Is there any way to reach his heart, 
but through his understanding ? Has he any 
affections of a moral character that are not 
prompted by thought ? Can he love or hate, 
like or dislike any thing without some idea of 
its nature ? And if not, how can his affections 
be changed in the absence of the truth ? Again, 
if these affections have no connection with 
thought, how can they have any moral charac- 
ter ? And how can affections that have no 
moral character themselves, decide the moral 
character of our volitions and resolutions? 
Does a blind impulse determine a man to "re- 
pentance unto life ?" And though men do 
choose and act invariably, according to their 
permanently prevailing inclinations, this does 
not prove that they cannot do otherwise. Are 



Repentance. 219 

not their understanding given them as a guide 
to feeling and conduct ? Can they not follow 
the dictates of reason and conscience in oppo- 
sition to their hitherto prevailing appetites 
and passions ? If not, how is it possible to 
practice the commanded duty of self-denial? 
Who has stronger evil propensities, than the 
drunkard ? Yet however far gone and aban- 
doned he may be, all his friends are persuaded 
that he can and should leave his bottle at once 
and forever. Nay, the man himself is con- 
scious of his power and obligation to do so. 
Yes, and there are frequent cases of his act- 
ually doing so, and that without the aid of 
renewing grace. I do not adduce the case 
of the reformed inebriate to prove that men 
ever will exercise a "repentance to salvation" 
without being renewed in the spirit of their 
minds, but to oppose the notion, that they 
never cau, but must act necessarily in accord- 
ance with their permanent inclinations and 
affections. And yet it is worth while to stop 
here and inquire, if the drunkard can, without 



220 Author and Obligations op 

grace, leave Ms sin, why can not others leave 
their' s ? And if they can leave any, why can 
they not leave aZZ f Why at least can they not 
fully resolve to leave all, and thus secure (with 
pardon) that sanctifying grace, which will ren- 
der them ultimately successful. But let it be 
borne in mind, that I am here speaking only of 
natural ability. And if it be here asked, as it 
sometimes is asked, whether natural ability is 
any help to relieve moral inability, I will only 
say, the former never of itself overcomes the 
latter. And yet the latter could never be 
overcome without the /ormer.* 

I do not know that any gracious affection or 
passion must necessarily precede repentance. 

* Dr. Chalmers goes still farther. He maintains, that man is re- 
sponsible for his emotions, aflfections and belief because of his power 
over his faculty of attention. In his Bridgewater Treatise he says, 
" It is thus that we can will 'the right emotions into being, not im- 
mediately, but mediately — as the love of God, by thinking of God, 
the admiration of moral excellence by means of a serious and stead- 
fast attention to it. Emotions, though not voluntary of themselves 
are so far voluntary in their proximate or immediate causes, in that 
the mind, to a certain extent, and by the control which it has over the 
faculty of attention, can will those ideas into its presence, by which 
the emotions are awakened. Man can, by means of these objects, 
either kindle the right emotions in his bosom, or make his escape from 
those emotions that trouble and annoy him." 



Repentance. 221 

It is true, that as Paul has told us in the text, 
** Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salva- 
tion." But he can only mean, that where this 
sorrow does exist, it promotes or increases 
repentance, as the more a man grieves over 
his past sins, the more eager and determined 
he will be to forsake and avoid them. But he 
does not say, that this is the only way in which 
repentance is produced. So religion promotes 
learning. Yet who would infer from this fact, 
that piety must always precede education ? 
We may admit, perhaps, the opinion of John- 
son, that " sorrow, fear and anxiety, are prop- 
erly, not parts hut adjuncts of repentance ; yet 
they are too closely connected with it, to be 
separated from it." But while "godly sorrow" 
is an invariable attendant^ it may not neces- 
sarily be a precursor of repentance. 

But it is time to present the direct and 
positive proof of the sinner's obligation to re- 
pent. An all-sufficient and unmistakable proof 
of this obligation, is found in the commands 
of God. If it were not a duty, he would not 



222 Author axd Obligations of 

require it. Bat many are his injunctions of it 
in liis word. They have been already quoted 
for another purpose in the foregoing discourse. 
Yet it will be now needful to quote" them 
again. According to Mat. 3:2, John, the 
forerunner of Christ, opened his ministry by 
preaching, " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven 
is at hand." And according to Mat. 3 : 8, and 
Luke 3 : 8, he preached, " Bring forth fruit 
meet for, or worthy of repentance," thus vir- 
tually enjoining repentance ilself. According 
to Mat. 4 : 17, Christ said the same, " Repent, 
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Ac- 
cording to Mark 1 : 15, "Repent and believe 
the Gospel." And according to Rev. 3 : 3, 19, 
he said, "Hold fast and repent. Be zealous 
and repent." Again, according to Mark 6 : 
12, the disciples whom Christ first commis- 
sioned to preach his Gospel, "went out and 
preached that men sliould repent." And ac- 
cording to Acts 2 : 38, when on the day of 
Pentecost three thousand inquired, " Men and 
brethren, what shall we do ?" Peter said to 



Repentance. 223 

them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of 
you." And soon after lie said to another as- 
sembly, 3: 19, "Repent ye therefore, and be 
converted." Also according to 8 : 22, he said 
to Simon Magus, " Repent, therefore, of this 
thy wickedness." According to Acts 17 : 30, 
Paul said to the Athenians, " God now com- 
mandeth all men everyioliere to repent." And 
again, 26: 20, he said, he taught all to whom 
he preached, that they " should repent and turn 
to God and do works meet for repentance^ 
How plain, then, the duty which God has so 
positively and repeatedly enjoined. J 

But even if none of the above commands 
had been found on the pages of inspiration, 
there still would have been sufficient proof 
that all men are bound to repent. We see it 
in the very nature of the duty. What is re- 
pentance ? It is a resolution to " cease to do 
evil and learn to do well." And can any one 
doubt whether he is bound to resolve that he 
will cease at once from his wrong doing ? Or, 
if you doubt the correctness of this definition, 



224 Author and Obligatioxs of 

and insist that repentance is godly sorrow for 
sin, or that it is reformation from sin^ I ask, 
can any one doubt whether he should be sorry 
for his sins, or whether he ought to forsake 
them? On the other hand, what is im;peni- 
tance? It is continuance in a prevailing 
purpose of transgression and rebellion. Re- 
maining impenitent, is virtually keeping on in 
the old and long- continued course of sin, defy- 
ing God's wrath and despising his offers of 
salvation. If, then, we ought to cease from 
sin and secure salvation, we ought to resolve 
that we will do so ; for purpose must precede 
performance. And it is the purpose, rather 
than the conduct, that God regards. It is the 
inward motive and aim which confers, in his 
sight, moral character on human actions. How 
evident, then, in this view, is the obligation to 
repent. 

. When any one injures ourselves, we feel that 
the least amends he can make, is to cease from 
his injurious conduct. Nothing is more evi- 
dent than that he should resolve to do so, forth- 



Repentance. 225 

with. Nothing is more evident, than that he 
is utterly without excuse, if he determines or 
even desires to repeat the injury any longer. 
And it must be equally evident, that we are 
bound to resolve on ceasing from all our sins 
against God and man. Much as men strive to 
convince themselves and others that they are 
not under obligation to repent, it is impossible 
for them to rid themselves of the conscious- 
ness of this responsibility. All the impeni- 
tent have more or less conviction that they 
ought to leave the wrong for the right way, 
which is no less than a conviction that they are 
under obligation to repent. 

And now, in conclusion, I call on you, my 
fellow sinners, to bring the foregoing truths 
home, and to lay them upon your consciences. 
Try no longer to regard yourselves as helpless 
beings that are not bound to repent, till the 
Spirit of God comes and puts repentance within 
you. Much as you may excuse yourselves, God 
will make you no allowances on the score of 
inability. While you strive to justify your 
10- 



226 Author and Obligations of 

continuance in impenitencj, he regards you as 
" after your hardness and impenitent heart, 
treasuring up unto yourselves wrath against the 
day of wrath." While you say you must wait till 
the Spirit comes to your aid, he *' now command- 
eth all men everywhere to repent.'' He therefore 
calls on you to do so, whether you have the aid of 
the Spirit, or have it not/ And you see that 
these calls are many, and loud. How dare you, 
then, reject them? Especially, how dare you 
attempt to justify your neglect of them on a 
plea which you would shudder to make at his 
final bar — a plea that is the more heinous and 
horrid, as it virtually charges on " the Judge 
of all the earth," the grievous unrightousness 
of requiring of you what you are not bound 
to render. And yet, if you have given the 
foregoing remarks a candid attention, you must 
have seen, as probably you have seen long 
before, that the repentance required of you is 
most reasonable, and that you are subject to 
no inability which can excuse your neglect of 
it. Oh beware, then, how you venture on such 
an impious plea any longer. 



Repentance. 227 

Are you not conscious of a strong and 
cherished attachment to sin, and of an equally 
strong and welcome aversion to holiness? And 
are you not equally conscious that these are 
the only things which keep you from repent- 
anoe ? Will you insist that as you are so much 
in love with doing wrong, you are not bound 
to abandon it, or that as you hate your duty so 
much, you are under no obligation to perform 
it? You will see, if you look closely and 
candidly into your hearts, that you are as free 
and voluntary in refusing to repent, as you are 
in any other act of disobedience. What shadow 
of excuse can you have, then, for remaining in 
the ways of sin any longer ? ---^^ 

But it is true, that though you are perfectly 
able and free to repent, yet as your wills are 
so perverse, through your love of sin and 
hatred of holiness, there is no hope that you 
ever will repent, unless the sovereign and 
effectual influence of the Spirit should make 
you "willing in the day of 'his power." Whatj 
then, are your feelings in relation to such a 



228 Author and Obligations of 

divine interference ? Are you now willing to 
have the Almighty's hand thus reached down 
from heaven to pluck you as a brand from the 
everlasting burnings ? I fear you are not. 
But whether it be so, I leave yourselves to 
decide. And if you see yourselves unwilling 
to be saved in such a sovereign way, how dark 
must be your prospects. 

Yet perhaps- you will insist that you do 
verily feel the need of the Spirit's influence to 
renew you to repentance, and do verily desire 
to receive it. Would to God it were so. But 
do. not deceive yourselves. Perhaps you are 
not willing to have repentance wrought in you 
oiow^ and only think you would like to have it 
done to-morrow, next week, or next month. 
But this is of no avail. For when the morroiu, 
the tueek or month comes round, you will be as 
unwilling as ever to be made immediately the 
penitent and obedient children of God. Yet 
I will suppose you are now really willing to 
receive at once, a "repentance to salvation." 
And then I would urge you to act accordingly. 
Fix your attention upon the Spirit, and open 



Repentance. 229 

your hearts to his influence. Hitherto it might 
have been said of you, as of some of old, ^' Ye 
do always resist the Holy Ghost" — Acts 7: 
51. And if you continue to do so, you may 
quench its light, and grieve away its influence 
forever. Consider, too, the mode in which the 
Spirit is to operate, if it ever brings you to 
repentance : that it will work by the instrumen- 
tality of the truth on your understandings, and 
through them upon your hearts. Ponder well, 
then, the word of inspiration ; especially those 
commands and warnings, those appeals and 
promises, by which it is urging you to escape 
by repentance from the final wrath of God. 
Do this, that, so to speak, you may put the 
more means into the hand of the Spirit for 
the accomplishment of this momentous work. 
Fully confess to yourselves, to your fellow men, 
and especially to your God, your obligation to 
repent. And be ready to yield to every argu- 
ment and influence which urge you to the all- 
important duty. And when you do all this, I 
shall hope, as I noiv pray^ that you may soon 
have a "repentance unto life." 



SERMON IX 



NECESSITY AND EVIDENCES OF REPENTANCE. 



^^ For godly sorrow workcth repentance to salvation.''^ — 2 Cor. 7: 10. 

la former discourses on this passage, we have 
considered the nature, author and obligation 
of evangelical repentance. And according to 
the method previously proposed, we have yet 
to consider its necessity and its connection 
with reformation — treating the latter as the 
evidence of a genuine *' repentance to salva- 
tion.'' 

1. Its necessitv. It is needful, because it is 



Repentance. 231 

an indispensable condition or term of salvation. 
Certain theologians object to its being so re- 
garded. Some of them saj, faith ^5, but 
repentance is not a condition of salvation ; 
while others say that neither are. Others again 
insist that both are terms^ yet neither are con- 
ditions. All this, however, is only a war about 
words. What, then, is the meaning of these 
words? Webster says, the signification of 
condition and terms^ when applied to contracts 
or covenants, is precisely the same. They are 
stipulations which, when complied with, " bind 
the parties." A condition is something which 
when done by one party, binds the other to 
do a certain other thing. It need not be on 
what is called the quid jpro quo principle — the 
principle that is of complete remuneration. It 
is not necessary in every contract, that the one 
party, in order to bind the other to a specified 
thing, should do something else of equal value. 
J. J. Astor deeded to his son the famous Astor 
House in New York city, on condition^ it is 
said, of his son's paying him a single dollar, 



232 Necessity and Evidences of 

while this house is worth more than a million. 
In the covenant of redemption between the 
Father and the Son, God promised Christ that 
he should have " a seed to serve him," on con- 
dition of his laying down his life as a ransom 
for sinners. In this, then, the condition may- 
be regarded in the light of an equivalent. But 
in the covenant of grace between God and 
sinners, the condition is infinitely inferior. All 
agree, that neither faith nor repentance is the 
ground or comjpensation for which the sinner is 
forgiven and saved. All agree that he is rcr 
deemed only for the sake of what Christ has 
done and suffered for him. God covenants, or 
offers and promises to save sinners on this 
ground ; and yet it is with the proviso that 
they shall repent. And it is not till they do 
repent, that he is bound by his promise, con- 
tract or covenant, to justify and save them. 
All that we mean, then, by this condition of 
salvation, is that on the fulfillment of which 
God promises to save the ungodly, and in the 
absence of which he will cast them off forever. 



Repentance. 233 

Let us now look into the word of God, and see 
how often it holds forth repentance as a con- 
dition of eternal life. 

Said Ezekiel 18 : 30, " Repent and turn 
yourselves from your transgressions, so inic[uity 
shall not he your ruiny Here is a virtual dec- 
laration, that repentance will secure salvation, 
while impenitence will insure eternal death. 
And by the same prophet God said 33 : 11, "I 
have no pleasure in the death of the wicked ; 
hut that the wicked turn from his way and 
live." Here the same truth is taught as in the 
previous passage, although the word repent is 
not used. It is that God will not and cannot 
save the sinner unless he repent. 

But much more frequently and fully is this 
truth taught in the New Testament. In Mark 
1 : 4, and Luke 3 : 3, we are told that John 
Baptist " preached the baptism of repentance 
for the remission of sins^^^ and thus, that it is 
necessary to eternal life. In Luke 13 : 3 and 
5, Christ uttered and repeated the declaration, 
" Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise _pens^ ;" 



234 Necessity and Evidences of 

thereby plainly implying, tliat all who are 
penitent will be saved ; all who are not, will 
be lost. Again, 15 : 7, he said, " Joy shall be in 
heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more 
than over ninety and nine just persons which 
need no repentance." But why this joy, unless 
repentance will secure salvation ? And in 24 : 
47, he commands that "repentance and remis- 
sion of sins should be preached in his name 
among all nations," thus authorizing all his 
ministers, of every age and clime, to promise 
pardon and eternal life to all who repent. 

Peter said. Acts 2: 38, "Repent and be 
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus 
Christ, for the remission of sins ^ As men may 
be lost with baptism, and saved without it, we 
are taught in this passage that repentance alone 
secures salvation. On another occasion, the 
same apostle said, 3 : 19, " Repent ye, therefore, 
and be converted, that your sins mo.y he hlotted 
oitty And when he had given an account of 
the faith and baptism of Cornelius and his com- 
pany, the disciples said, 11: 18, " Then hath 



Repentance. 235 

God also to the Gentiles granted repentance 
unto life.''' In the text, Paul told the Corin- 
thians, that " godly sorrow worketh repentance 
to salvationy And in his second epistle, 3:9 
Peter tells us that God is " not willing that anj 
should ^em/i, hut that all should come to re- 
pentance." Do not all these passages declar;, 
or at least unmistakably imply, that all wl.o 
repent will be saved, and all who remain i.n- 
penitent will be inevitably lost ? How, then, 
can any deny that repentance is an indispensa- 
ble condition of eternal life ? 

In none of these passages is faith mentioned, 
either directly or by implication. Some have 
said it is implied in the " baptism" and the 
"turning to God," which in some rare instances 
are mentioned in connection with repentance. 
But baptism is a symbol or emblem of regene- 
ration and sanctification — not of justification. 
Nor does it point any more to faith than to 
any other Christian grace. We read of " the 
baptism of repentance^^'' but not of the baptism 
of faith. The command is, " Believe a/ic? be 



236 Necessity and Evidences of 

baptized.*" And faith is not turning to God, 
but trusting in liim. All the foregoing Scrip- 
tures prove then, if they prove anything, that 
eternal life is promised on the single condition 
of repentance. If any were lost who have it, 
or any saved without it, the fact would falsify 
all these twelve passages which have just been 
quoted from the word of God. 

As I understand it, if God but sees in the 
hearts of sinners a sincere and full determina- 
tion to forsake all their sins and to do all their 
duty, he does not wait to have them fulfill it, 
but takes, as I have already said, the will for 
the deed, seals their forgiveness, records their 
names in the book of life, and gives all that 
sustaining and sanctifying grace, which they 
need for fulfilling this, their resolution to re- 
form. And though their reformation may at 
first be very imperfect, they will persevere in 
their purpose and their efforts, till at death 
their reformation will be perfect and entire, 
wanting nothing. They will act like a man 
who has resolved to go to a certain place to 



Repentance. 237 

receive an inheritance. At first he hesitated 
on account of the press of other concerns, or 
of the uncertainty whether he could secure 
the inheritance. But on further information 
and further reflection, his mind is fully made 
up, that go lie ivill. And he sets out accord- 
ingly. Though he occasionally loses his way, 
he does not give up his purpose, but returns to 
the right road, and continues his journey. If 
he meets with disaster, the wreck of a carriage 
or the death of a horse, this does not shake his 
determination or daunt his courage. He re- 
pairs, and again presses forward. And whatever 
mistakes, mishaps or hindrances he has to 
encounter, he perseveres, till he reaches the 
place and receives the inheritance. 

Still, it is true, ihoX faith is also an indispen- 
sable condition of salvation. For the Scrip- 
tures say not only, " Except ye repent, ye shall 
all likewise perish," but also, " He that believ- 
eth not, shall be damned." When sinners 
inquired of old what they must do to be saved, 
they were sometimes told, as on the day of 



238 Necessity and Eyidences of 

Pentecost, "Eepent, for the remission of sins." 
And sometimes, as in the case of the jailor of 
Philippi, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and thou shalt be saved." Nor is this any con- 
flict of Scripture with Scripture. For in truth, 
as was said in a previous discourse, repentance 
and faith are both necessary to salvation. If 
either were wanting, the soul must be lost. 
But where one is found, the other will also be 
found. That state of heart from which the 
one is sure to flow, the other will as invariably 
flow. It is chiefly his attachment to sin which 
keeps a man from looking to Christ for salva- 
tion. And when that is broken, (as it effect- 
ually is by his resolution to forsake it fully and 
forever,) there is nothing left to keep him 
from " believing to the saving of the soul." 
Bequiring and securing one of these graces, 
then, is virtually requiring and securing both. 
Thus we see, that repentance is absolutely 
necessary to our salvation, since God in his 
sovereignty has appointed it, as an indispensa- 
ble condition on which to grant eternal life. 



Eepentance. 239 

And even if it were not necessary for God to 
fix on this condition, yet since he has done so^ 
it is now absolutely necessary on our part, to 
comply with it, since God can never be turned 
from his purposes. Our only alternative, is re- 
pentance or perdition. 

But as many are disposed to murmur at the 
requirement of repentance, as hard and un- 
reasonable, it may not be amiss to consider 
more at large than we have done, why God 
has made it an invariable prerequisite. For 
he has not done so in simple, naked sovereignty, 
but in wisdom and benevolence. He has 
done so, because the fitness of things and the 
highest good of his universe required it. 
There are two particular reasons for which he 
requires repentance as a condition of salvation. 

One reason is, because it is needful in order 
to sustain Ms moral government. Moral beings 
must be governed by law. And the restraining 
power of law resides mainly in its penalties. 
Everything, then, that impairs the penalties of 
the law of God, impairs his authority. And 



240 Necessity and Evidences op 

the unconditional pardon of the transgressor 
would so effectually neutralize the threatenings 
of that law, as to destroy its restraining force. 
For it would practically contradict these threat- 
enings of God against transgressors. While in 
his word he says, "The soul that sinneth, it 
shall die, in unconditional pardon, he would 
say with Satan, " Thou shalt not surely die." 
And by thus removing the fear of its penalty, 
the law becomes powerless. 

It was in part to prevent this effect of for- 
giveness, that the atonement was instituted. 
Christ needed to die as a substitute for sinners, 
in order to show, that though God does pardon 
sin, he has nevertheless an infinite abhorrence 
of it ; so much so, that Christ must needs 
"bear it in his own body on the tree." Yet 
something beside the atonement was needful 
to uphold the law of God in its restraining 
power. It was necessary to guard it by the 
certain conditions on which salvation should 
be granted to its transgressors. And of these, 
repentance is especially important. For if 



Repentance. 241 

pardon were granted to the ojQTender, wliile lie 
remains impenitent, and consequently still in 
rebellion, it would neutralize the denunciations 
of the law, and thus encourage transgression. 
But the requirement of evangelical repentance, 
as a condition of forgiveness, is a sufficient 
safeguard against such danger. For such re- 
pentance is a virtual acknowledgment, on the 
part of the penitent, of his obligation to obey 
the law. And thus it sustains divine authority. 
But what is much more, it is a determined pur- 
pose to forsake the ways of siu, and to walk the 
narrow path of new obedience : a resolution 
sincere and full-hearted, thorough and perpetual. 
It is also a resolution that is sure to be carried 
out in practice, and has, therefore, a restraining 
power equal to that of the legal penalty. For 
the penitent obeys for conscience sake, and not 
for wrath's. 

And the requirement of repentance must be 
necessary for sustaining the government of 
God, not only on earth, but in other portions 

of his moral universe. Doutless the general 
11 



242 Necessity and Evidences of 

principles by which he governs man are the 
same as those by which he governs other moral 
beings — principles founded on the nature and 
relation of things. The Bible teaches us that 
angels, holy and unholy, are the attentive in- 
spectors of his government on earth. And we 
know not but that the inhabitants of many 
worlds are studying man's history now, or will 
be taught it at the general Judgment. As, 
then, God strove to show Satan the righteous- 
ness of Job — as the Corinthian woman had 
*' power on her head because of the angels" — 
as we are continually subject to the efforts both 
of good and evil angels, and as it is God's " in- 
tent, that now unto the principalities and pow- 
ers in heavenly places shall be known by the 
Church, the manifold wisdom of God,^' it must 
be evident that the dealings of God must be 
known to the inhabitants of other worlds. And 
if they saw him pardon rebel man, while he 
still clung to his rebellion, would it not pain this 
moral sensibility to right and wrong, and to 
the fitness of things, a sensibility which must 



Repentance. 243 

be inherent in every moral being ? And would 
not this tend to lessen the reverence of his 
majesty, or at least to weaken their reliance on 
his wisdom and his immutability ; thus impair- 
ing, in their view, his supreme authority ? One 
reason, then, why God requires repentance as 
a condition of salvation is, because it is needful 
to sustain his moral government. 

The other reason is, because it is needful to 
the welfare of those ivho are saved. Without 
repentance, they could not be happy, though 
they were forgiven and received to heaven. 
For '^ the way of the transgressor is hard." 
And " the wicked are like the troubled sea, 
when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire 
and dirt." Nor can they have any real enjoy- 
ment or rest till they resolve to abandon all their 
iniquities. But just so soon as they do come to 
such a resolution — in other words, just so soon 
as they repent — such a quiet and calm comes 
over them as they never felt before. So long, 
too, as they refuse to leave their sins, they can- 
not engage in that " godliness which is profita- 



2M Necessity and Evidences of 

ble unto all things, having promise of the life 
that now is, and of that which is to come." 
But just so soon as they determine to leave 
their evil ways, they begin, by consequence, a 
life of obedience. It will be seen at once, that 
impenitence prevents reformation, while re- 
-pentance promotes it. For man can do nothing 
till he resolves to do it. And the full resolution 
is half the performance. The whole difficulty 
in the way of obedience is attachment to sin. 
And this attachment is broken and weakened 
by a firm determination to utterly and forever 
forsake it. This may be somewhat illustrated 
by the change which comes over the mind of 
an emigrant, on his resolution to leave his native 
land for some far distant country, to spend the 
rest of his days there. At first, as he thinks of 
that loved spot called hoine^ with its many en- 
dearments and conveniences, he says within 
himself, " How can I bear to leave them all, 
and brave the hardships of a long and painful 
journey, to the wilderness world of Oregon or 
■California?" Yet, as he thinks, on the other 



Repentance. 245" 

hand, of the vast gain in prospect, he is power- 
fullj attracted to this far-off land. Still, the 
struggle is a painful one. But when his pur- 
pose is fully taken, the struggle is mainly over, 
and the pain is greatly relieved. For, when 
he is fully decided to leave his native land, he 
begins to lose his attachment to it : and when 
he has fixed his mind on a home on " the farthest 
verge of this green earth," he feels a strong 
and growing desire to be in possession of it. 
And such is the adaptation and tendency of re- 
pentance to dislodge the heart from sin, and to 
excite in it an interest and enjoyment in the 
service and favor of God. Thus, though it be 
not the efficient cause, it is at least a very pow- 
erful exciting cause of that experimental and 
practical godliness without which we cannot be 
happy, either in this or the coming world. So 
long as our impenitent hearts are clinging to 
sin, we cannot perform, much less enjoy the 
service of God, either on earth or in heaven. 
Still less can we "rejoice," as saints on earth 
do, " with joy unspeakable and full of glory ;" 



246 Necessity and Evidences op 

nor be " meet for the inheritance of the saints 
in light," where is " fullness of joy and pleasures 
forevermore." But all this blessedness does re- 
pentance secure by virtue of that connection 
of it with the reformation of which we have 
spoken. But this connection of repentance with 
reformation we have yet to consider more at 
large. And as already proposed, we shall re- 
gard the former as evidence of the latter — an 
evidence not needed by " the Searcher of hearts," 
but by ourselves^ to show, whether we have such 
a repentance as will secure our salvation. 

In a former discourse, it was maintained, that 
repentance is not reformation itself as Dr. 
Campbell and some others suppose ; but is its 
necessary antecedent or precursor — that it is 
a resolution to reform — a resolution always 
followed by amendment of heart and of life. 
The occurrence of the latter, then, is necessary 
to prove the existence of the former. We have 
had occasion to remark, that John Baptist com- 
manded his hearers to " bring forth fruit meet 
for, or worthy of repentance ;" which fruit must 



Repentance. 247 

be the evidence of repentance, according to the 
declaration of Christ, " the tree is known bj 
his fruit:" also, that these fruits must be the 
same as the " works meet for repentance" which 
the Apostle Paul enjoined ; and therefore, that 
thej must be those good works which constitute 
a thorough reformation. 

What, then, are the good fruits or good 
works which evince a " repentance unto life ?" 
Such, certainly, as would most probably anc^ 
most properly result from this repentance. 
And what is this but doing what is- purposed 
to be done ? What is it, but ceasing from 
those sins of heart and life which we have re- 
solved to abandon, and the commencement of 
those duties of heart and life which we pur- 
posed to discharge ? — what, but a new and 
opposite set of affections, and a new and oppo- 
site course of external conduct ? — what, but 
love to God and his people, to his word and his 
worship, instead of aversion to them? — and 
what, but a general obedience to his commands, 
instead of a prevailing disregard of them. 



248 Necessity and Evidences op 

As repentance is a final and fixed resolution 
to abandon tlie world as a portion, and to take 
heaven as a portion, the penitent may be ex- 
pected not to set his affections on things on 
earth, but on things in heaven. And, as it is 
a full determination to escape " from darkness 
unto light, and from the power of Satan unto 
God," he may be expected to " live not hence- 
forth unto himself, but unto him who died for 
him." In short, the fitting fruits of repentance 
unto life, are a thorough change of conduct and 
character, resulting from new motives and new 
principles. 

Some, it is true, are comparatively correct in 
their external conduct, during the days of their 
impenitency. And in these, the change on re- 
pentance will not be so visible to others. But 
they themselves will see the change is great in- 
deed, especially as to their affections, motives 
and aims. While the change in the more im- 
moral and profligate must be very evident and 
striking to all who have known their former 
characters. Yet some of these are compara- 



Repentance. 249 

lively taciturn and reserved, while others are 
more out-spoken and bustling. And in the lat- 
ter, though in itself no greater than that in the 
former, the change will appear the greater. In 
all, however, the real reformation will be great 
indeed. And, therefore, if no moral change is 
perceived, there is no evidence of a " repentance 
unto life." 

The topics of this discourse are of great prac- 
tical importance to two classes of hearers. The 
first comprises all those who are confessedly, and 
in their own views, still impenitent; and who 
therefore are still in the "gall of bitterness and 
bonds of iniquity," as regards the present life, 
and are exposed to eternal wrath in the world 
to come. To such, then, let me say. 

My fellow sinners, you have just been taught 
that your salvation hangs in part upon your 
exercising that repentance which consists in a 
full and determined resolution to forsake all 
your sins, and to strive ever afterwards to do 
your whole duty ; that unless you do thus re- 
solve, you must perish, eternally perish. But 



250 Necessity and Evidences of 

it may be, you, like many others, are disposed 
to murmur at this condition of salvation, as if 
it were too severe. Yet you have just been 
shown that God could not have offered eternal 
life on other terms, without putting to hazard the 
welfare of his universe ; nay, that without this 
repentance, you yourselves could not be happy 
on earth or in heaven. Oh, cease from such 
murmurs, then, lest they prove as ruinous as 
they are unreasonable. 

In a former discourse, repentance was urged 
upon you as a reasonable and all-important 
duty. And you have seen with what frequency, 
fitness and authority, God has commanded it. 
This alone should have led you to repent. But 
now I urge it upon you as an unspeakable 
jprivilege, I urge it upon you as a matter of 
infinite importance to yourselves^ because that 
without it there is no escape from eternal death 
and wo, and that with it^ there is a certainty of 
eternal life and blessedness. And since this 
salvation would be an infinite gain to you, it 
should be welcome to you on conditions most 



Repentance. 251 

severe. How ill it becomes you to marmur at 
the necessary and easy condition of repentance. 
As it is one simple, instantaneous act of the 
mind, on this one act hangs your everlasting 
all. If you but come to the full purpose to 
turn from sin to holiness, God will at that in- 
stant meet you with pardon, and with the 
promise of eternal life. But if you fail thus to 
purpose, you must lie down in endless sorrow. 
How important, then, that you repent without 
delay, lest death or distraction overtake you 
unexpectedly, and thus render your penitence 
impossible. It is the more important to do so, 
as it is so simple, easy and instantaneous ; for 
who can estimate the additional torture which 
you would endure, on reflecting forever in yon- 
der dark world, that you have fixed yourselves in 
eternal wo, by refusing to put forth this single 
and instantaneous exercise of repentance. Oh, 
save yourselves from this aggravated, endless 
sorrow, by resolving at once, " I will arise and 
go to my Father." 

And here let me warn you of one fatal rock 
on which many awakened souls have been 



252 Necessity and Evidences of 

wrecked and ruined. Sinners, on seeking sal- 
vation, are apt to resolve on jpartial reforma- 
tions. Thej will purpose, it may be, to give 
up (for a time, till they see whether they find 
salvation) their more open and flagrant sins, 
such as profane swearing, sabbath breaking and 
drunkenness, while their many other sins they 
refuse to abandon. And so also they resolve 
to begin certain duties, such as reading the 
Bible, attending church, and perhaps the offer- 
ing of a formal prayer, while their many other 
duties they deliberately refuse to perform. 
And after such partial and superficial refor- 
mation, it is common for them to wonder whv 
God does not accept their services, and meet 
them in his mercy with pardon and eternal life. 
Whereas, they have made no approach at all to 
that repentance which is to salvation. A re- 
pentance unto life knows no reserves. It is a 
determination to give up every sin of heart as 
well as of life, and to give it up at once and 
forever. So also is it a determination to do noio 
^ud forever after, all the duties which we owe 
to God and man. See to it, then, that your re- 



Repentance. 253 

pentance is full and unreserved, for otherwise, 
it will be unavailing, and will indeed be no 
repentance at all. 

The other portion, to whom the topics of this 
discourse are of special importance, are those 
who are in doubt whether thej have or have 
not a " repentance unto life." And to such I 
would briefly say, this you must have seen is a 
question of infinite importance to you, as infi- 
nite consequences hang upon it. It is a matter 
of infinite moment, then, that you settle it cor- 
rectly. And you have just been told what is 
the adequate evidence of this repentance — a 
thorough reformation of heart and of life. If, 
then, any of you are destitute of these '^ fruits 
meet for repentance," it is time you had seen 
yourselves to be "still in the gall of bitterness, 
and in the bonds of iniquity." Rather, it is 
time you were putting forth a new and better 
purpose of reformation — a purpose that shall 
eventuate forthwith in " newness of life." And 
what you need to do, should be done without 
delay. For that night of death may be near, 
in which no one can work. 



SERMON X . 



It 



ALLEGED DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY OF SALVATION 
OBVIATED. 



" Him that cometh to me, I will in tw wise cast out."'— John 6: 37, 

I believe the way of life is so plainly pointed 
out in the foregoing discourses, that all who 
give them due attention can find salvation. 
Yet many awakened sinners are apt to imagine 
there are certain serious difficulties in their 
way ; which mistaken notion is liable to dela?/, 
if not to defeat their entrance into the strait 
gate. It is needful, therefore, to give the sup- 



Alleged Difeiculties Obviated. 255 

> posed difficulties a particular examination. And 
although their fallacy might be seen, by looking 
at them in the light of what has been already 
said on the conditions of salvation, I propose 
now to examine them in the light of the promise 
contained in the text. 

*' Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise 
cast out." These are the words of Christ. 
What is it, then, to come to Mm f It is, evi- 
dently, leaving our sins, to rely on him for par- 
don and eternal life. But, if this needs proof, 
it is found in abundance among those passages 
where the like expression is used. Said the 
evangelical prophet, " Ho, every one that thirst- 
eth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no 
money, come ye^ buy and eat; yea, come, huy 
wine and milk^ without money and without 
'priced — Isaiah 55: 1.. Here is that figure 
called 'parallelism^ in which the Scriptures so 
much abound : a figure in which the same 
thought is repeated, yet in varied language. 
Hence, to come to Christy who is the "water 
of life," of which '' if a man drink, he shall never 



256 Alleged Difficulties 

thirst," as well as " the bread that came down 
from heaven," is the same as to " buy wine and 
milk, witliout money, and without price :" that 
is, it is to accept of salvation as the free gift of 
God, through Jesus Christ. 

That this is the meaning of the text, is still 
more evident from the manner in which he uses 
the same expression in the context. " And 
Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life : 
he that comeiJi to me shall never hunger ; and 
he that helieveth on me shall never thirst."— John 
6: 35. Here is another para^?e?zs?7i; for the 
expression, " he that cometh to me shall never 
hunger," means precisely the same as the ex- 
pression, " he that helieveth on me shall never 
thirst." To come to Christ, means, then, to re- 
ly on him for salvation. And again, he said, 
" If any man thirst, let him come unto me and 
drink. He that helieveth on me, as the Scrip- 
ture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers 
of living water." — John 7: 37,38. Here, too, 
is the same figure, although, as is comruon, it is 
in the form of a climax: the first clause ex- 



Obviated. 257 

pressing the sufficiency of the waters of life, and 
the other, their abundance : the coming to Christ 
in the one, is the same as the Relieving on Mm 
in the other. 

I will give but one passage more. It is from 
John on Patmos. " The Spirit and the bride 
saj, come. And let him that heareth, say, come. 
And let him that is athirst come ; and whoso- 
ever will, let him take the water of life freely." 
Rev. 22 : 17. Few passages of Scripture are 
so often mis-quoted as this. The mistake is in 
repeating the word "come," in the last clause ; 
as if it read, "whosoever will, let him come^ 
But this word, which is repeated in the forego- 
ing clauses, is omitted and its place supplied by 
an expression meaning the same thing, viz., 
"let him take the water of life freelv," and thus 
the passage shows, that to come to Christ means 
the same as to "lay hold by faith on eternal 
life." 

Nor is it less evident, that none who Come to 
Christ in the exercise of such a faith, shall in 
anywise or on any account fail of salvation. 



258 Alleged Difficulties 

This blessed truth is asserted in every promise 
to the penitent and believing sinner. It is in- 
directly asserted by Christ in his declaration to 
the unbelieving Jews: "Ye will not come to 
me, that ye might have life. " — John 5 : 40. 
For here he virtually declares, that all that is 
necessary to eternal life, is to come to Mm. 
But in the text, his promise is peculiarly em- 
phatic. It is expressed in the original Greek, 
with a double negative, which, according to 
that language, intensifies negation, and seems 
intended to meet and remove the imaginary 
difficulties which often discourage awakened 
sinners. It is as if he had said to them, " If 
you do but come to me, nothing shall prevent 
my saving you with an everlasting salvation." 
And now let us go with this assurance, as with 
a torch in hand, to examine these difficulties. 

Some insist that they liavQ not the requisite 
ability to come wito Chirist. And it is, indeed, 
true, that there is a sense in which they need 
help from on high. And Christ, therefore, said, 
*' JSio man can come unto me, except it be given 



Obviated. 259 

unto him of my Father." And, " No man can 
come to me, except the Father, which hath 
sent me, draw him." But they mistake as to 
the kind of aid which they need. It is not any 
new faculties, nor any additional strength, 
physical or mental, that they need. Nor is 
such help afforded to those who do come. It 
is not weakness, but unwillingness, that keeps 
them from coming. All they need is a dispo- 
sition^ or "a willing mind" to use the ability 
already possessed. If they had a willing mind 
to come to Christ, " it would be accepted of 
them according to that they have, and not ac- 
cording to that they have not." — 2 Cor, 8: 12. 
Yet many are confident, no doubt, that they 
are willing to escape divine wrath, and are try- 
ing hard to make their escape. But they are 
not trying to do the exact thing, on condition 
of which God has promised to save the sinner, 
but are trying to merit his compassion and 
favor by tears and prayers, or other services, 
while he requires of them simply to resolve to 
turn from all their sins, and to rely on the 



260 Alleged Difficulties 

merits of Christ for pardon and salvation. 
For if they truly endeavored thus to repent and 
believe, they would find no other difficulty in 
their way but the reluctance and aversion of 
their own minds. All they need, then, is to 
be made ^^tvilliiig in the day of God's power." 
The condition of salvation is not a difficult one. 
It is only to ask and receive — to JcnocJc at the 
door of mercy and be admitted — to hear, that 
the soul may live — to come unto Christ that 
they might have life. Sinners are unable to 
come to him, only because they cannot in this 
case (as they cannot in any other) act against 
their own wills. Their inability, then, is not 
their excuse^ but their sin. And they are the 
more wicked in pleading it, because in doing 
so, they virtually charge the righteous God 
with a most grievous injustice. For while he 
commands them to repent and believe, and 
threatens them with the "greater damnation,'* 
if they fail to do so, they charge him with un- 
righteously requiring what they are unable to 
perform. And the plea is as dangerous as it is 



Obviated. 261 

impious. For while they are making this ex- 
cuse, they will not be striving to enter in at 
the strait gate. Nor is it those who are driven 
or dragged^ but those who come of their own 
accord to Christ, that he promises not to " cast 
out." He does teach, it is true, that those who 
come to him, are drawn of his Father. But 
this is done "with the cords of a man, with 
bands of love.'^ — Hosea 11 : 4. It is by the 
persuasions of the word and Spirit, operating 
on the sinner's will. " Every man, therefore, 
that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father," 
that is, effectually, " cometh unto me," said he. 
See John 6 : 44, 45. So draws the Father. 
Nor is any Gospel sinner devoid of such aid. 
If they would "^ear and learn of the Father" 
as they ought, they would come to Christ. 
And all those who fail to yield voluntarily to 
such persuasions, and thus to come willingly to 
Christ, must inevitably perish. 

To those who plead inability, I would say. 
You should act in the matter of coming to 
Christ, as you do in all other matters : that is, 



262 Alleged Difficulties 

on your own consciousness. You know — you 
cannot but know — that you are free agents: 
free, then, to come to Christ or to stay away. 
You must be conscious, that, if you stay away, 
it is because you choose to do so. In other 
words, if you remain impenitent, it is because 
you choose to continue in sin ; and if you re- 
main unbelieving, it is because you refuse to 
rely on Christ for pardon and redemption. 
The most wicked and unwise thing you can 
do, then, is, to refuse to come to Christ, and 
to justify yourselves in thus refusing. It is 
wicked^ because it is a voluntary continuance of 
transgression, and an abuse of saving grace, to- 
gether with a justification of yourselves, which 
imputes injustice to God. It is unwise^ because, 
by excusing your delay, you are increasing 
your dif&culty and danger in regard to your 
salvation. All you think and say in justifica- 
tion of yourselves tends to occupy and quiet 
your minds, and thus to prevent your anxiety 
and efforts to " enter into life." Whereas, the 
best thing you could do would be to admit that 



Obviated. 263 

you are without excuse, and deeply guilty in 
not going to Christ without delay, and to dwell 
upon this guilt intensely. For thus you would 
more thoroughly *' stir up yourselves to lay hold 
on God." — Isaiah G4 : 7. Act, then, on your 
conscious free will, and resolve at once to " take 
the water of life freely." 

Again : some sinners fear, or profess to fear, 
that ^''tliey are not chosen to salvation, conse- 
quently, that no atonement has been made for 
themy And it is to be feared, that these ap- 
prehensions have been often suggested by the 
indiscreet teachings of some religious instruct- 
ors — especially by the manner in which they 
have taught the doctrine of a limited atone- 
ment, and the doctrine that saving faith con- 
sists in believing " Christ died for me person- 
ally." Those who indulge such fears should 
consider, that the sacrifice of Christ for sin is 
an infinite sacrifice ; sufficient, therefore, to 
atone for the sins of all: that, being infinite, 
it is not made up of parts, to be apportioned 
out to particular persons: that Christ died not 



264 Alleged Difficulties 

for certain individuals, but for tlie race : that 
he is "the Lamb of God which taketh away the 
sin of the world^'' — John 1 : 29, — in that he 
was offered on Calvary to remove sin, as a 
whole, out of the way of God's justice, and in 
such a respect that he can now be "just" to the 
universe, while he is " the justifier of him which 
believeth in Jesus." — Eom. 3:26. He is thus 
the " door''' by which " if any man enter in, he 
shall be saved," — John 10 : 9, — a door which, 
if large enough for one^ is large enough for all. 
What the Savior suffered was necessary for the 
salvation of a single sinner; and more he need 
not have suffered, if the whole race were 
saved. A single difficulty in the divine gov- 
ernment stood in the way of the salvation alike 
of one and all. And that difficulty Christ has 
" taken out of the way, nailing it to his cross." 
Those who are afraid that no atonement is 
made for them, will find enough to quell their 
fears in the following passages of the word of 
God. " For there is one God, and one Me- 
diator between God and men, the Man Christ 



Obviated. 2G5 

Jesus ; who gave himself a ransom for alV — 1 
Tim. 2 : 5, 6. " We trust in the living God, 
Avho is the Savior of all men^ especially of those 
that believe."—! Tim. 4: 10. "But we see 
Jesus, who was made a little lower than the 
angels for the suffering of death, crowned with 
glory and honor ; that he by the grace of God 
should taste death for every many — Heb. 2: 9. 
" And if any man sin, we have an Advocate 
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous : 
and he is the propitiation for our sins : and not 
for ours only, but also for the sins of the luhole 
worldy — 1 John 2 : 1, 2. Is there not enough 
in these passages to prove that an ample atone- 
ment is made for all mankind ? 

And those who are afraid of not having been 
chosen to salvation^ may find enough in the fol- 
lowing, perhaps, to allay their fears. " Ho, 
every one that thirstcth^ come ye to the waters, 
and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and 
eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk, without 
money and without price." — Isaiah 55: 1. 
" Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy 
12 



266 Alleged Difficulties 

laden, and I will give you rest." — Matt. 11 : 
28. " li any man thirsty let him come unto me 
and drink." — John 7:37. I know it is insisted 
by some that these invitations are addressed to 
those sinners only who feel their need and their 
helplessness. But what right have they thus 
to add to the Word of God, and thereby to take 
from it its fullness of grace ? These passages 
are evidently intended to offer salvation to all 
the needy. They say nothing about the convic- 
tion of need ; much less do they say how deep 
must be the conviction. And surely all who 
fear they are not chosen to salvation must have 
conviction enough. But^ as if to settle all 
doubts on the subject, Christ said, by the apostle 
of Patmos, ^^ Whosoever ivill^ let him take the 
water of lih freely. ' ' — He v. 22:17. Could the 
universality of the offer be expressed more 
plainly ? 

But that these fears of sinners are groundless 
is still more manifest in the light of the prom- 
ises, that all who seek salvation aright shall 
find it ; and that all who knock at the door of 



Obviated. 267 

mercy as they ought, shall certainly be admitted. 
Said the prophet, '' Let the ivicked forsake his 
way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts : 
and let him return unto the Lord, and he will 
have mercy on him : and to our God, for lie icill 
abundantly pardon.^^ — Isaiah 55 : 7. What 
need have sinners to know whether they ha^e 
been previously " chosen unto salvation ?" It 
is enough for them to know that they are 
*' wicked" and " unrighteous ;" and that they 
forsake their " way" and their " thoughts ;" and 
that they " turn unto the Lord," for then, at all 
events he will '' have mercy" upon them, and 
*' abundantly pardon." Said Christ, " I am the 
door : by me if any man enter in, he shall be 
savedy — John 10: 9. And again, "Behold I 
stand at the door, and knock : if any man will 
hear my voice, and open the door, I icill corne 
in to him^ and will sup with him, and he with 
me." — Rev. 3 : 20. Any man^ then, whether 
previously chosen to salvation or not — aiiy 
m^an^ who is willing to enter heaven through 
the atoning blood of Christ ; or, which amounts 



268 Alleged Difficulties 

to the same thing, any man who will open his 
heart to Christ, as to his salvation, shall have 
eternal life. And still more positive is the 
promise in the text. It assures every sinner, 
that, if he will but come to Christ, by the exer- 
cise of faith in his atoning blood, he shall be as 
certainly accepted and saved as any son or 
daughter of Adam. 

I entreat all who are indulging these fears, 
to look at their folly and danger in doing so. 
Be assured, my fellow sinners, that there is 
nothing in the electing love of God to keep you 
out of heaven. So far as that love avails, it is 
all on the side of saving grace. If you are lost, 
it will be owing to nothing but your impeni- 
tence and unbelief, or because, as Christ has 
expressed it, "Ye will not come to me that ye 
might have life." — John 5 : 40. And, if you 
are lost, you will perish while Christ is ready 
and wishing to save you ; and he will mourn 
over you as he did over the inhabitants of Jeru- 
salem, when he said, " 0, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 
thou that killest the prophets and stonest them 



Obviated. 269 

which are sent unto thee, how often would I 
have gathered thy children together, even as a 
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, 
and ye would not." — Mat. 23: 37. Beware, 
then, how you perish thus needlessly, under 
such aggravated guilt. 

Others, again, are troubled with the fear that 
they have not conviction enough to be converted 
and saved ; and must, therefore, wait for more, 
before they come to Christ. This apprehension 
is often occasioned by their having seen others 
in very deep distress before they were converted. 
For it is very common, with awakened sinners, 
to think they must feel as others have felt, on 
passing from death unto life. Yet no notion is 
more unfounded. There is every diversity to 
be found among the anxious, in time of a re- 
vival. And while some have most excruciating 
distress, others have only a solemn and calm 
persuasion of the evil of their way, and of the 
importance of making their peace with God. 
Sometimes, too, this notion is the offspring of 
a self-righteous spirit, which inclines sinners to 



270 Alleged Difficulties 

think they must awake the compassion and 
merit the favor of God, by their suffering great 
distress of mind. Such persons mistake alarm 
and dread of wrath for that rational conviction 
which they need. Hence they strive to in- 
crease their distress, by dwelling on their dan- 
ger, and on the greatness of the sufferings to 
which they are exposed. Whereas, if they 
would promote the right kind of conviction, 
they should examine their hearts and lives more 
faithfully by the Word of God, to see more fully 
their need of salvation. Satan fills the hearts 
of many with the notion that they must have 
more conviction, before they can be saved ; and 
does it for the purpose of keeping them from 
coming at once to Christ. 

To those thus deluded, I would say: You 
need no more distress ; for God does not require 
of you tears and groans, remorse or alarm, as 
conditions of mercy, but repentance and faith. 
And you can repent and believe as easily now 
as if you had all the distress of the damned. 
Nor would such agonies move God's compassion, 



Obviated. 271 

and win his favor here, any more than they 
would were jou lifting up cries from the tor- 
ments of the pit of wo. If you are but ration- 
ally convinced of your exposure to final wrath, 
and of your need of deliverance from it, you 
have all the conviction you need. Distress, 
agitation and alarm will not help you to escape, 
any more than they would help the mariner in 
the dangers of a storm, or the merchant when 
his store is on ^e: If you but see your danger, 
the more cool and calm you are, the better you 
can attend to " the things that belong to your 
peace." What unspeakable folly, then, to wait 
for more conviction, when it only keeps you 
from Christ, and thus prevents your salvation ? 
Come, then, at once; "come to Christ, that you 
may have life ;" for if you delay any longer, 
your day of grace may be gone forever. 

And others again are fearful that their sin 
is too great to he forgiven. And if they look 
only at the multitude and magnitude of their 
transgressions, and at the "indignation and 
wrath, tribulation and anguish," which God has 



272 Alleged Difficulties 

revealed against " every soul of man that doeth 
evil," — Eom. 2 : 6-9, — it is not strange that 
they should despair of forgiveness. For they 
judge God by themselves. They know, the 
greater the injury done to themselves, the harder 
it is for them to overlook or forgive. But, " as 
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are 
his ways higher than our ways." It is, so to 
speak, as easy for God to forgive a great sin, 
as a little one. As before stated, the only dif- 
ficulty that ever stood in the way of his forgiv- 
ing either was, in regard to his government. 
The difficulty was, in forgiving sin without 
weakening its penalty, and thus encouraging 
transgression. And as this difficulty has been 
removed by the atoning blood of Christ, God 
can now safely pardon the sins of all those 
who forsake them, and rely on the blood of 
Christ for justifying righteousness. For now 
it can be said of God, ^' There is forgiveness 
with thee, that thou may est be feared." — Ps. 
130 : 4. Since, then, Christ, the Lamb of God, 
has taken away (in gross, so to speak,) " the 



Obviated. 273 

sin of the world," and become " the propitiation 
for the sins of the whole world," God is as ready 
to pardon sins of the foulest as of the faintest 
hue. And while there is nothing to hinder his 
forgiving the greatest sins, there are some con- 
siderations that plead especially in favor of 
their pardon. One consideration is, the greater 
the sin forgiven, the greater the gratitude, 
praise and service of the one forgiven : for, as 
Christ has told us, " they that are forgiven 
much, love much." — Luke 7 : 42-7. While 
another is, that the greater in the view of the 
moral universe must be the glory of the forgiv- 
ing grace. And thus was laid the foundation 
of the petition, *' Lord, pardon mine iniquity, 
for it is greaV^ — Ps. 25 : 11. Here, then, is 
suf&cient proof that the worst of sinners may be 
forgiven and saved. For all who study the 
plan of salvation must see, that " where sin has 
most abounded, there the saving grace of God 
much more abounds," — Rom. 5 : 20, — that 
the redemption provided is "a plenteous re- 
demption," and that the forgiving grace of God, 
12* 



274 Alleged Difficulties 

like all his other attributes, is infinite. To sup- 
pose, then, that some sins are too great to be 
forgiven, is to "limit the Holy One of Israel." 
But we have a plainer proof, in the fact that 
all sinners, however great their guilt, are in- 
vited in the Word of God to come and be saved. 
" Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends 
of the earth, — Isaiah 45 : 22, — " all," however 
sinful. " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come 
ye to the waters, and he that hath no money ; 
come ye, buy wine and milk, without money 
and without price." — 55:1. " Every one that 
thirsteth," not every one that is not a very great 
sinner. " He that hath no money," not he that 
is not too sinful. " If any man^'' however 
wicked — "If any man thirst, let him come unto 
me and drink." "And whosoever will^'*'' be he 
ever so great a sinner, " let him take the water 
of life freely." Thus the vilest of sinners are 
invited as freely as any others. And if any 
such were to come to Christ, would he cast them 
out ? Never. He of whom it is said, " Neither 
was any deceit in his mouth," does not thus de- 



Obviated. 275 

ceive and tantalize sinners. As, then, all are 
invited, all, even the worst, will be saved, if 
they do but come to the Savior. 

But that the worst of sinners can be saved, 
is still more plainly shown in the fact that such 
have been already saved. Such was the fact 
with Manasseh, who "shed innocent blood very 
much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end 
to another," — 2 Kings 21: 16, — "made his 
children pass through the fire, in the worship 
of idols — treated the house of God with the 
utmost indignity, and made Judah and the in- 
habitants of Jerusalem to do worse than the 
heathen, — 2 Chron. 33 : 6-9, — but who yet 
obtained mercy — 12-16. Such, too, was the 
fact with Saul of Tarsus. He " made havoc of 
the Church, entering into every house, and 
haling men and women, committed them to 
prison." — Acts 8: 3. "And when they were 
put to death, he gave his voice against them ; 
and being exceeding mad against them, he per- 
secuted them even unto strange cities." — 26: 
10, 11. Yet he, though as he confessed him- 



276 Alleged Difficulties 

self, " the chief of sinners," was nevertheless 
forgiven, and became a chief among the apos- 
tles. And such also were some of the Corin- 
thian converts. Said Paul, " Neither fornica- 
tors, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor thieves, 
nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor 
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 
And such were some of you : but ye are washed, 
but ye are sanctified^ but ye are justified in the 
name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of 
our God." — 1 Cor. 6 : 9-11. Nor can we doubt 
that many a modern convert was once as wicked 
as any who are lost. 

But still more positive proof is found in the 
promises of salvation. These promises are not 
confined to those who have not been " sinners 
before the Lord exceedingly," but are made to 
all who comply with the simple and easy con- 
ditions of salvation. If any one " repent and 
be converted, his sins shall be blotted out." — 
Acts .3 : 19. If any man '^ believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ, he shall be saved." — 16: 31. 
" Whosoever shall call upon the name of the 



Obtiated. 277 

Lord," that is, by faitli, " he shall be saved," — 
Rom. 10: 13. And the promises of Christ him- 
self are, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and 
are heavy laden, and / will give you resV^ — • 
Mat. 11: 28. 'M am the door; by me, if any 
man enter in, he shall he saved.'''' — John 10 : 9. 
*' Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any 
man will hear my voice, and open the door, I 
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and 
he with me." — Rev. 3 : 20. 

But, if the promise of the text were the only 
one of the kind that could be found in the Bi- 
ble, this would be amply sufficient to prove 
that the worst of sinners might be saved, pro- 
vided they would but comply with the con- 
ditions of salvation. '^ Him that cometh to me 
I will in no wise cast out." In .these words, 
Christ names but one condition on which he 
will accept and save, viz., that of coming to Mm, 
All, then, that come to him, whatever may have 
been their previous guilt, may claim salvation 
on the ground of this promise. And will he 
reject any one of them ? No : never. He has 



278 Alleged Difficulties 

averred that he will not, in the strongest possi- 
ble terms. " He will in no wise^^^ on no occa- 
sion, and on no account, " cast them out." Es- 
pecially will he not do it on account of the 
greatness of their guilt. For he has given a 
s^DCcific pledge that he will not. To those who 
come, he says, '* Though your sins be as scarlet, 
they shall be as white as snow ; though they 
be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.'^ — 
Isaiah 1 : 18. 

Yet says the distressed sinner, " Christ speaks, 
you know, of the sin against the Holy Ghost, 
that ' hath never forgiveness.' — Mark 3 : 29. 
And that an apostle says, * There is a sin unto 
death,' which we are not to pray for. — 1 John 
5: 16, — and I am sorely afraid that I have 
committed such a sin." But I ask, what is the 
use of entertaining such a fear ? Though you 
inquire ever so much, you can never know in 
what this sin consists. Much less can you as- 
certain whether you have committed it. But 
if you could ascertain it, this would do you no 
good. The conditions of salvation, and your 



Obviated. 279 

difficulty in complying with them, would still 
be the same. Why, then, will you spend your 
time in such unavailing inquiries. You do not 
know, and you cannot know, that you have 
committed the unpardonable sin. But there 
are other things that you do know. You know 
that, if you will " come to Christ," he will most 
certainly receive and save you : for he has most 
positively promised to do so. You know, too, 
that if you do not come to him for life, you 
must certainly perish. Then, why not act upon 
what you do know, and not upon what you do 
not and cannot know, by striving at once to 
enter into life ? 

There is not so much danger that the unpar- 
donable sin will keep you out of heaven, as that 
jour fear of it will do so. For, while you are 
giving way to this fear, you will not be striving 
to *' enter in at the strait gate." And it is prob- 
able that Satan is filling your mind with this 
fear for the very purpose of keeping you from 
coming to Christ for salvation. Beware, then, 
how you let him "get an advantage of you," 



280 Alleged Difeiculties 

through "ignorance of his devices." — 2 Cor. 
2 : 11. But, while your fears are deterring you 
from coming to Christ, they should rather en- 
courage you. It is generally thought by theo- 
logians, that when a man does commit the un- 
pardonable sin, he is forsaken of the Spirit of 
God, and left to sink into utter stupidity and 
hardness of heart, respecting his spiritual state. 
And if so, your distress on the subject is rather 
an evidence that you have not committed that 
sin which " hath never forgiveness." What 
madness, then, to be kept by it from entering 
into life. Whether you have yet committed 
this sin or not, you will commit it, if you fail 
to exercise " repentance towards God and faith 
towards our Lord Jesus Christ." For there is 
no sin more ruinous than " the damning sin of 
unbelief." If you will not repent and believe, 
it matters but little whether or not you have 
already committed the " sin unto death ;" for 
in either case, you will certainly perish. And 
since, if you but come to Christ, you will cer- 
tainly be saved, why not resolve to do so, with- 
out delay ? 



Obviated. 281 

" Oh , make but trial of liis love, 
Experience shall decide, 
That they are safe, and only they, 
Who in his grace confide/' 

And if more positive assurance is asked, that 
Christ will " save all who come to God by him," 
it is found in the divine declaration confirmed 
with an oath, and in the earnest expostulations 
with all the wicked, to come and be saved. 
"J.5 / live^ saith the Lord God, I have no pleas- 
ure in the death of the wicked ; but that the 
wicked turn from his way and live ; turn ye, 
turn ye from your evil ways ; for why will ye 
die?" — Ezek. 33: ]1. Accordingly, the apostle 
declares, " The Lord is not willing that any 
should perish, but that all should come to re- 
pentance." — 2 Peter 3 : 9. If, then, any are 
lost, it will not be simply because they have 
committed the unpardonable sin, or because of 
any of the difficulties which have been discussed, 
in this discourse ; but because they failed to 
comply with the conditions of salvation. 



SERMON XI 



THE TERROR OF THE LORD A PERSUASITE TO SALTATION. 



It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living 
Go^." — Heb. 10: 31. 



There is a sense in whicli all mankind are at 
all times in the hands of the Almighty. As 
Job expresses it, " In his hand is the soul of 
every living thing, and the breath of all man- 
kind." As Paul expresses it, ^' In him we live, 
and move, and have our being." All men are 
in God's hands, as they are upheld by his pow- 
er ; and especially as they are under his author- 
ity, and entirely at his disposal. As he is their 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 283 

Maker, Upholder and bountiful Benefactor, he 
has a right to all their services ; and as all his 
requirements are not only reasonable, but be- 
nevolent — as "his law is holj, and his com- 
mandment holy, and just, and good," they are 
bound in all things to obey him, and as they 
have failed to do so, he has a right at any time to 
consign them to the perdition which they have 
incurred by transgression. And as he has the 
rigJit^ so also has he the power. He is the Pot- 
ter, and they are the clay ; and, becoming dis- 
pleased with them, he can " dash them in pieces, 
like a potter's vessel." They are held by his 
hand from dropping into the grave, and into 
the pit of woe. They lie on his hand : and he 
needs only to turn it over to let them into hell. 
And he has the right, not only to appoint our 
final destiny, but to order all our affairs in this 
life. All our enjoyments are blessings which 
He sends. All our privations and afflictions 
are of his appointing. Yea, there is a sense in 
which he orders all our conduct, however freely 
we put it forth. Said Solomon, " The king's 



284 The Tereor of the Lord 

heart, (and what can be freer than the heart of 
a king?) " The king's heart is in the hand of 
the Lord, as the rivers of water : He turneth it 
whithersoever he will." 

But there is a sense in which men are out of 
God's hands. This is implied in the text. For 
they could not fall into tliem^ if they were in 
them already. "It is a fearful thing to fall into 
the hands of the living God." I propose to in- 
quire, 

1. In what respects men are out of God's 
hands ? 

2. What is implied in their falling into his 
hands ? and, 

3. Why this is a " fearful thing ?" 

1. Men are out of God's hands, in that he suf- 
fers them to go on in their own chosen way, not 
restraining them by his physical omnipotence. 
The father has power to keep his son from run- 
ning away. But sometimes he sees fit to let 
him go. Or he has power to keep him back 
from doing certain mischiefs ; yet sometimes 
sees fit to interpose no other hindrances than 



A Persuasive to ISalvation. 285 

prohibitions and threatenings. And so our 
Father in heaven has power to keep the sinner 
from transgression. But he sees fit to govern 
his moral beings by moral^ and not physical 
power : by suasion^ and not hj force. He sees 
fit to let them resist his authority, and trample 
on his law, while he lias power to prevent it. 
He can stop the sinner's ridicule, reproach and 
blasphemy, by stopping his breath. But he 
sees fit to let him '' set his mouth against the 
heavens :" and '^ by his tongue," as with sword 
in hand, to " walk through the earth." He can 
stop the sinner's intemperance, debauchery and 
violence, by shutting him in the room of the 
invalid, of laying him in the grave. But he 
sees fit to give him strength and opportunity 
to commit all the crimes that redden and black- 
en the history of man. 

As the wicked have gone into distant revolt 
from their rightful Sovereign, they act and feel 
as if they were entirely independent of his au- 
thority and power. They say, " With our 
tongues will we prevail ; our lips are our own ; 



286 The Terror of the Lord 

who is Lord over us?" They live as " without 
God in the world.'' They scorn the thought 
of obeying his word ; and boast themselves in 
defiance of a coming retribution. Or, if they 
are not thus outrageous in their conduct, or 
impious in their language, they scorn, neverthe- 
less, the very thought of acting out of regard 
to the will of God. Ask the most moral, and 
amiable, and refined of the impenitent, why 
they abstain from things that God has forbid- 
den, and they will tell you, " Because it pleases 
their religious friends, or renders themselves 
more respectable," or some other selfish reason 
— in short, anything rather than " because God 
has forbidden it." 

And while sinners are acting thus. He who 
sitteth in the heavens is looking down upon 
them. While they are setting his authority at 
naught, and defying his power. He is able to 
stop in a moment all their rebellion and blas- 
phemy. Although he supplies the strength by 
which they work iniquity : yea, though He 
gives the very breath by which they utter their 



A Persuasiye to Salvation. 287 

contempt of him. He suffers them to go on in 
their own chosen way, just as if they were self- 
existent, and entirely independent of his author- 
ity and power. In other words. He treats them 
just as if they were out of Ms hand. But thus 
he will not deal with them forever. For alas ! 
the time is coming, when they will " fall into 
the hands of the living God." We are to con- 
sider, 

2. What is implied in thus falling ? In the 
text, as in many other portions of Scripture, 
the wovdi fall has a peculiar meaning. It does 
not denote, that sinners come by their own 
weight, or of their own accord, into the power 
of the Almighty. For all their desires and ef- 
forts are to get away from him. Neither does 
it denote, that they come there by accident, or 
without any power put forth to apprehend 
them. Falling denotes moral or natural evil. 
Here, it is the latter. In man's first transgres- 
sion, he emphatically fell ; fell into sin. So 
when he is finally punished for his sin, he em- 
phatically falls : falls into the hands of the liv- 



288 The Terror of the Lord 

ing God, as a town or fortress is said to fall into 
the hands of a besieging force. And therefore 
it is said- to be a fearful thing thus to fall. 

The context clearly shows, that this relates 
to the doom of the finally impenitent. In the 
foregoing verses, it is said, " If we sin wilfully, 
after that we have received the knowledge of 
the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for 
sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment 
and fiery indignation^ which shall devour the ad- 
versaries. He that despised Moses' law, died 
without mercy ^ under two or three witnesses : 
of how much sorer punishment^ suppose ye, shall 
he be thought worthy who hath trodden un- 
der foot the Son of God, and hath counted the 
blood of the covenaat, wherewith he was sanc- 
tified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite 
to the Spirit of grace ? For we know him that 
hath said, " Vengeance helongeth unto me, I will 
recompense^ saith the Lord ;" and again, " the 
Lord shall judge his people." Then follows 
the text, " It is a fearful thing to fall into the 
hands of the living God." To fall into his 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 289 

hands, then, is to suffer all the evils just named: 
it is, to be finally judged of God, and to suffer 
the vengeance with which he will recompense 
the sinner. It is, to suffer the sore punishment 
which God will inflict upon those that have 
trodden under foot the Son of God, and done 
despite to the Spirit of grace. It is, to suffer 
the certain fearful judgment and fiery indigna- 
tion which shall devour all the adversaries of 
the Almighty. Yes, to fall into the hands of 
the living God is to fall under that " indigna- 
tion and wrath, that tribulation and anguish, 
which is revealed from heaven upon every soul 
of man that doeth evil." 

Sinners, then, will fall into the hands of God 
when their probation closes, and their retribu- 
tion commences. Then will he cease to leave 
them to their own way. Then he will no longer 
allow them to act and feel as if they were above 
his authority and power. Then he will take 
them in hand, and make them feel the grasp of 
his sovereignty, and the weight of his omnipo- 
tence. Then they will realize painfully, and 
13 



290 The Terror of the Lord 

forever realize, Tvliat they now refuse to believe, 
or at least to remember, tliat they are at the 
disposal of a sin-hating God. 

3. We have yet to inquire, TF% it is a fearful 
tiling thus to fall into the hands of the living 
God ? Fear is the pain experienced in the ex- 
pectation of evil. I suppose the meaning of 
the apostle to be, that the thought of falling 
under the povfer of a sin-avenging God should 
fill the sinner's mind in this life with painful 
apprehensions. I doubt not that a vast amount 
of fear will be felt in the world of ivoe : that all 
along the endless duration of the sinner's an- 
guish, he will be looking forward, in fear of fu- 
ture and greater w^oes to come. Yet, I sup- 
pose that his then present sufferings will be the 
principal wretchedness of that dark abode. 
And I suppose the fearfulness spoken of in the 
text is that which the sinner ought to feel in 
the present life. It is the dread which the 
revelation of a judgment to come is fitted to 
awaken in his mind. As the context expresses 
it, it is the fearful looldng for of judgment, and 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 291 

the fiery indignation which threatens to devour 
him in the world to come. It is for the pur- 
pose of awaking this fear in the present world 
that these dangers are revealed unto men. It 
is, that they may take timely warning, and thus 
escape the punishment impending over them. 
For, never, till they have this fear, will they 
strive to escape the dangers awaiting them. 

But this fear is what sinners are unwilling, 
most of all things, to feel. Satan avails himself 
of their most inconsistent and preposterous 
pride, to keep them from escaping from the 
wrath to come. He insinuates, and they readily 
assent to it, that there is something cowardly 
and base in escaping from wrath through fear 
of suffering it ; and hence the mighty struggle 
within, to keep out the fear of hell, and to keep 
up a spirit of rashness, in contempt of the aw- 
ful denunciations of God's holy law ; and hence 
the frequent assertion of the blustering sinner, 
*^ I am not to be scared into religion." Do you 
see .that man in a boat, on the mighty Niagara? 
A friend cries out to him, '' You are in danger 



292 The Terror of the Lord 

of being swept over the falls ; pull with all your 
might for the shofe!" But he answers, "Do 
you think I am such a weak and cowardly 
wretch as to be frightened into safety? and 
soon he plunges down the awful cataract, and 
is dashed in pieces on the rocks below. What 
think you of that man's conduct ? I tell you it 
is the perfection of wisdom — yes, it is the per- 
fection of wisdom, compared with his who 
braves the threatenings of God's final wrath. 

My fellow sinners, I entreat you not to cling 
to a sentiment so pernicious. I beg of you to 
be mindful that the fear of the Lord is not folly, 
but " the beginning of wisdom." I entreat you, 
then, to listen with due attention, while I en- 
deavor to show wherein it is a fearful thing to 
fall into the hands of an angry God. For you 
are grievously mistaken, if you think it coura- 
geous and magnanimous to shut your eyes 
against your danger, or deny its existence. It 
is the perfection of weakness and cowardice. 
It is the part of genuine courage, to look danger 
firmly in the face, and then to consider and em- 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 293 

ploy the best means of preventing or escaping 
it. It is thus that " discretion is the better part 
of valor." One reason why many sinners are 
unwilling to see and acknowledge their danger 
is, they have not courage to behold it. They 
act like the silly child that shuts its eyes to hide 
from danger. Go, stand on the rail-track, as 
the engine comes thundering along, with its 
breath of steam and mouth of fire. See if shut- 
ting your eyes will save you from the deadly 
contact. But for the question. 

Why is it a fearful thing for sinners to fall 
into the hands of God ? 

1. Because it is so unwelcome to them. Sin- 
ners are unwilling to feel that they are at God's 
disposal. The language of their hearts is, " De- 
part from us, we desire not the knowledge of 
thy ways." They say, "We will not have this 
man to reign over us." It is this dislike that dis- 
poses them to dismiss all thoughts of God from 
their mind, and to deny all obligation to his 
service, all subjection to his power, and all ex- 
posure to his final wrath. How painful, then, 



294 The Terror of the Lord 



must be the thought which sometimes will flash 
into their minds, that the time is coming, when 
they will/eeZ themselves in his hands — feel it 
constantly — - feel it forever. If God should 
now make himself visibly present to them, their 
souls would be in awful trouble. How, then, 
will they bear the tokens of his presence, as he 
pours upon them the hot vials of his final wrath ? 
Impenitent sinners will carry into the eternal 
world the same self-will and rebellion which 
they have in this life. Suffering will not soften 
them. It will probably make them worse. 
While, through divine grace, the afflictions of the 
righteous are the means of their spiritual growth, 
the wicked seem to wax worse and worse, under 
what they suffer. So it was with the rebellious 
Jews, of whom the prophet inquired, " Why 
should ye be stricken any more ? Ye will re- 
volt more and more." That is, your punish- 
ment will only make you the worse. And so 
we find it eventuates with many in modern 
times. How often is loss of property followed 
by loss of principle, then loss of temperance, 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 295 

then loss of character, then loss of all. Too 
often it happens, that the more the child feels 
the rod, the more he writhes in rebellion and 
wrath. So it is with public convicts. The 
State prison is a school of crime, not of morals. 
And so it is to be feared, that the damned in 
hell will only be excited by their sufferings to 
the more desperate hatred to the God that af- 
flicts them. And though they are withheld 
from acts of rebellion, they will exercise the 
spirit of rebellion, and probably will utter the 
language of rebellion. Like those mentioned 
by the revelator, they will " blaspheme the God 
of heaven," because of their pains. And the 
more this hatred and rebellion of spirit increases, 
the more painful it will be to them to be held 
in the hand of the living God. 

Sinner, have you ever thought of this ? One 
thing you have thought. It is that the service 
of God on earth is intolerable bondage. How, 
then, will you endure imprisonment in hell? 
If you cannot bear to think yourself under the 
authority and power of God now, what will you 



296 The Terror of the Lord 

do, when, on feeling the grasp of Omnipotence, 
you will be compelled to "consider it perfectly." 
What will then avail all your present hatred 
and scorn of the divine authority, and what 
your boasted neglect of it ? I will tell you. 
They will serve only to render it a more fearful 
thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 
It is true, that there is a way in which you 
can avoid all these sufferings : all you now suffer, 
and all you are in danger of suffering in the 
world to come. More. There is a way in which 
you can convert the dreaded sovereignty and 
omnipotence of God into sources of unspeakable 
blessedness, both in the present and in the eter- 
nal world. Would you like to do so ? And 
do you ask, how so vast a benefit can be se- 
cured ? I answer, it is simply by submitting 
voluntarily to that sovereignty, and by accept- 
ing pardon through Jesus Christ. Do this, and 
the sovereignty and omnipotence of God will 
at once be objects of love and joy ; for they 
will then be enlisted for the promotion of your 
highest happiness, for time and eternity. Then, 



A Persuasive to Saltation. 297 

why not take this short and easy way to a "joy 
unspeakable, and full of glory," in the present 
world, and in the world to come to " a far more 
exceeding and eternal weight of glory ?" 

But I have another reason yet to give, why 
it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the 
living God. It is so, 

2. Because of the positive sufferings which 
he will then inflict on the rejectors of his saving 
grace. We have seen, that if he simply held 
them in the hand of his power, without smiting 
them at all with the rod of his wrath, they must 
suffer immensely from their own enmity and 
rebellion of heart. But he does inflict upon 
them a "much sorer punishment." There is 
such a thing as " eternal damnation." For 
Christ tells us of some who " have never for- 
giveness, but are in danger of eternal damna- 
tion :" a declaration which would not be true 
if, as some say, there is no endless punishment 
in store for the wicked. And the sufferings of 
this damnation must be inconceivably intense ; 

for they are represented by the strongest im- 
13- 



298 The Terror of the Lord 

ages : by the gnawing of the worm that never 
dies, and the anguish of the fire that never 
shall be quenched. I need not insist that this 
language is literal, and I allow that some simi- 
lar language of Scripture cannot be taken lit- 
erally. Christ said, "The rich man also died 
and was buried ; and in hell he lifted up his 
eyes, being in torments, and asked for a drop 
of water, to cool his tongue, because he was 
tormented in the flame." What is here said of 
62/65 and tongue^ of water smd flame, cannot be 
literal. For according to the parable, the body 
of the rich man was not yet in hell, but lying 
in the grave. By the worm we may understand 
the conscience of sinners ; by fire, the frown of 
God's wrath. And by these agencies, God may 
inflict anguish unspeakable upon the finally im- 
penitent. 

And what though that which the Bible re- 
veals of God's raining upon the wicked fire and 
brimstone, and an horrible tempest ; and of his 
casting them into a lake of fire and brimstone, 
is not to be understood literally ? It has a fig- 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 299 



urative and fearful meaning, of whose terrors 
no ridicule can divest it. How unavailing and 
liow ungodly the attempt to disprove the tor- 
ment of the finally impenitent, by calling the 
belief of it a sulphurous dogma. God has re- 
vealed their torments in his own language. 
And woe to those who attempt to laugh him 
out of it. 

The power of an awakened conscience is 
often amazing."^ Sometimes its convictions are 
so severe as to prostrate strength and health. 
And I ascribe it to the special interposition of 
God, that they do not more frequently eventuate 
in distraction and suicide. ^ 

Some insist, that condemation of conscience 
is all the hell which the sinner suffers. But 
what if we should allow this assumption ? It 

* But what is conscience 7 It is not a Imv-giver, as many suppose, 
but a judge. It does not teach us what we ought to do ; but it is 
seated in the court of our hearts, to decide on our own conduct, ac- 
cording to law and testimony. Its law is that of nature and revela- 
tion. Rom. 2 : 14. And its testimony is that of consciousness. It 
sometimes makes erroneous decisions. But this is owing only to its 
misunderstanding of the law ; for as to the testimony, its understand- 
ing is unerring. And when its apprehension of the law is correct, 
as in the main it generally is, its decisions are infallible. And when 
it does condemn, its inflictions are often very severe. 



300 The Terror of the Lord 

would not follow, as they seem to suppose, that 
all its convictions and pains are suffered in this 
world. It is evident that men do not suffer in 
this life in proportion to the crimes they com- 
mit. The consciences of the most of sinners 
become more or less " seared as with a hot iron." 
The more wicked their hearts become, the more 
hardened they grow. Doubtless the murderer 
feels more horror at his first deed of blood than 
at the scores that he commits afterwards. But 
God can quicken these dead consciences in the 
world of woe, and make them the means of in- 
conceivable anguish forevermore. 

Yet still greater anguish may be inflicted on 
the spirits of the damned, by the frown of his 
wrath. What a deep wound is sometimes in- 
flicted on the spirit of a child, by the mere look 
of parental displeasure. He cannot rest till the 
frown is removed from the father's brow. And 
how much greater agony may be inflicted by the 
withering look of an ever-present, ever-angry 
God. We need not .inquire how God reaches 
the sensibilities of sinners in the world of spirits. 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 301 

It is enough for us to know, that the Almighty, 
" with whom all things are possible," can inflict 
on their disembodied spirits all the agony, all 
the horror, all the woe that are said to be the 
portion of those that *' dwell with devouring 
fire, and lie down in everlasting burnings." I 

I do not say that the condemnations of con- 
science within, and the frowns of divine indig- 
nation from without, are all the inflictions which 
the sinner will experience in the world of woe. 
But I say that these are sufficient to make it 
emphatically " a fearful thing to fall into the 
hands of the living God." 

You see, my impenitent hearers, that evils 
are before you ; evils awful, evils eternal. You 
see you must make provision against them noiu^ 
or suffer them forever. To despise or disregard 
them is madness. For the longer you do so, the 
more you increase the evils and the probabil- 
ity that you will finally and forever endure them. 

I have not presented this subject for the pur- 
pose of taunting you ; much less for the purpose 
of " tormenting you before your time ;" but for 



302 The Terror of the Lord 

the purpose of saving you from the present and 
endless suffering to which I see you exposed. 
Is the subject a painful one ? Believe me, all 
the pain that I occasion I would willingly endure 
for you, if I could thus deliver you from the 
everlasting agonies of the second death. 

I would not address myself to your excited 
feelings, but to your sober, candid judgment ; 
and ask you to act wisely for yourselves. I ask 
not only is it right, but is it expedient and best 
for yourselves^ to trifle with the wrath of God 
any longer ? Have you not " treasured up 
wrath against the day of wrath" long enough,? 
Is it best for you to make your salvation more 
difficult, and thus your damnation more sure 
and dreadful ? Will you not now be wise for 
yourselves, in submitting at once to the sov- 
ereignty and the saving grace of God ? Will 
you not drop, forthwith, into the embrace of 
his mercy, that instead of dragging you down 
to hell, he may lift you up to heaven, and set 
you among " the saints in light ?" 



SERMON XII. 



TIE GOODNESS OF GOD A PERSUASIVE TO SALTATION. 



"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, aiid forbearance, and 
long-suffering; not knoicing that the goodness of God leadeth thee 
to repentance^ — Eom. 2 : 4. 

This is not the language of inquiry, but of 
remonstrance. In these words, Paul is remon- 
strating with the sinner, respecting his rebellion 
against God, while sharing so largely his good- 
ness and his grace. The repentance of which 
he speaks is an effectual resolution to turn from 
sin to holiness; eventuating in eternal life. In 
saying, " the goodness of God leadeth to re- 



304 The Goodness of God 

pentance," the apostle could not mean that this 
goodness always does secure this saving grace : 
for this is contradicted by the history of man- 
kind at large, and by his own statement re- 
specting the sinner to whom he is here speak- 
ing. For he declares him in the context to be 
in the imjpenitency and hardness of his heart, 
" treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath." 
He could only mean to say, then, that the good- 
ness of God furnishes strong obligations and 
inducements to repentance. It is, therefore, 
the evident doctrine of the text, that The good- 
ness of God should persuade men to repentance. 
And this will be the theme of our present dis- 
course. 

There is no need of a labored argument to 
confirm this doctrine. Besides being written 
in the text, it is written in most legible charac- 
ters on the moral constitution of man. We 
see, as by intuition, that favor confers obliga- 
tion : making it the duty of the benefitted party 
to comply with the reasonable wishes of the' 
benefactor : and that, where there was a pre- 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 305 

vious obligation, favor increases it. And such 
is the sinner's increased obligation to obey the 
commands of God. It evidently and irresistibly 
follows, then, that as he has hitherto disobeyed 
them, he is bound to resolve that he will forth- 
with forsake his transgressions and live ever after 
in obedience to them : and the more so on ac- 
count of the many and munificent blessings 
which he is constantly receiving. 

The ingratitude of man toward man is branded 
by all, as base and atrocious ; especially the in- 
gratitude of requiting benefits by abuse : and 
much more so if the benefits are still continued 
and still abused. How amazing, therefore, the 
atrocity of abusing by a life of transgression, 
the rich, the numberless, and the long-continued 
blessings of our infinite Benefactor, God. How 
evident, then, that the goodness of God should 
lead us to that "repentance which is unto life," 

What need is there, then, of laboring to prove 
by assertions of Scripture, or deductions of rea- 
son, a truth which my hearers cannot but see 
and acknowledge ? My object, therefore, will 



306 The Goodness of God 

not be 'proofs but persuasion. For many there 
are who confess this solemn truth, yet do not 
obey it. And my aim will be to move such to 
repentance, by exhibiting some of the many and 
amazing blessings which God is bestowing upon 
them. 

I am well aware that the most of sinners feel 
a strong aversion to the arguments of terror. 
And this makes it very painful to the ministers 
of reconciliation to employ them. For one, I 
never would press them, if I did not know that 
the impenitent needed to be "persuaded" by 
" the terror of the Lord," as well as won by 
" the tender mercy of our God." It is neces- 
sary that they " behold," not only " the good- 
ness," but " the severity of God." They ought, 
therefore, to welcome such needful arguments. 
But though they will be ever so impatient and 
restive, under the persuasions that are drawn 
from the righteousness and wrath of God, it 
surely may be expected, that they will listen 
with readiness and candor to those that are 
drawn from his goodness and his grace. My 



\ 



A Persuasive to Saltation. 307 

impenitent hearers, may I not hope for such 
attention from you while I tell you of the love 
and mercy of your God ? 

Some suppose that the goodness of God in- 
cludes not only his benevolence and grace, but 
his holiness, righteousness and truth : and, in 
short, all the attributes which help to make up 
the perfection of his character. And truly, in 
this understanding of the word, God is good. 
He is the letter for being not only bountiful, and 
gracious, and long-suffering, but for being holy 
and righteous, just and true. Yet, in the text, 
as in other portions of his Word, the goodness 
of God is spoken of in distinction from his other 
and more awful attributes. In the text, too, 
his goodness is associated with his long-suffer- 
ance, in evident distinction from his penal jus- 
tice and wrath. We will now consider this di- 
vine goodness, as manifested in four things, 
viz : 

In delaying long the punishment due to sin : 
In bestowing great temporal blessings upon 
transgressors: 



308 The Goodness of God 

In providing and offering salvation through 
Christ. And, 

In continuing to urge the offers of salvation, 
after they have been long and contemptuously 
rejected. 

1. In delaying long the punishment due to 
sin. By his first transgression, the sinner has 
fallen under the sentence of temporal and eter- 
nal death. And justice demands its immediate 
execution. Therefore, " It is of the Lord's 
mercies that we are not consumed." Did he 
deal with us as his unappeased justice requires, 
he would consign, at once, our bodies to the 
dust, and our souls to the pit of endless per- 
dition. But, in his long-suffering and forbear- 
ance, he has been delaying to take the ven- 
geance due — delaying it for many months, for 
many years : delaying it, while the rebels thus 
spared have been living on in the constant rep- 
etition of the transgressions by which they first 
incurred the sentence of death and woe. He 
spares them, though they are doing more and 
more every hour to provoke his hot displeasure. 



I 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 309 

Such, my impenitent friends, is the goodness 
of God to you. He gives you life, while you 
deserve death and woe. He prolongs that life, 
while you are employing it in continued rebel- 
lion against him. He gives the breath by 
which you reproach his cause and profane his 
name ; and supplies the vigor of that arm which 
you raise in rebellion against him. What a 
strange forbearance and mercy, then, that when 
you open your mouth to trifle with his charac- 
ter and name, or to sport with his offers of sal- 
vation, he does not seal it in the silence of the 
grave, and that, when you raise your arm 
against his government and grace, he does not 
smite it with the palsy of death. 

Herein you see the riches of his goodness. 
And you know full well how it ought to affect 
you. You know it should dissolve the hardness 
of your hearts, and melt you into penitential 
sorrow for your past sins, and prompt you to 
the purpose of forsaking them forever. Are 
you thus affected ? Or, is your heart, on the 
contrary, " more fully set in you to do evil, be- 



310 The Goodness of God 

cause sentence against an evil work is not exe- 
cuted speedily ?" If the forbearance and long- 
suffering of God will not soften your hearts, 
what hope is there that anything will do it ? 
and especially if, instead of melting to peni- 
tence, they only confirm you in continued and 
increased rebellion ? 

2. The goodness of God consists in bestowing 
upon transgressors many temporal b lessings. His 
power is constantly exerted in sustaining their 
forfeited lives, in continuing or restoring their 
health, and in constantly and richly supplying 
their numerous wants. He maintains, by the 
constant exertion of his power, the action of 
their lungs, the circulation of their blood, and 
all the mysterious movements of this curious, 
and complex, and delicate engine, the body. 
It is he who makes their food nourishing and 
their clothing warm. And it is because he 
gives them sunshine and showers, and maintains 
the laws of vegetable and animal life, that they 
Jiave their food and clothing. " He that formed 
the ear," gives all the delights of sound. " He 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 311 

that formed the eye," gives all the charms of 
vision. He that is " the Father of spirits," sus- 
tains all their intellectual and moral powers in 
sane and successful operation, thus giving them 
all their mental enjoyments. In short, all their 
possessions and pleasures are the gifts of God. 
And he is dealing them out, while they, instead 
of them, are deserving indignation and wrath. 
They deserve that all the power employed 
in doing them good should be employed in 
causing them pain of body and anguish of 
mind. Moreover, he is continuing these bles- 
sings, while they are continuing their transgres- 
sions ; nay, while they are waxing worse and 
worse ; and thus are calling louder and louder 
for his restrained and struggling indignation 
to break forth upon them. And it is this 
grievous ingratitude, this continued rebellion, 
in contempt of his rich and numerous blessings, 
that he calls the heavens and earth to notice 
with astonishment, saying, " Hear, heavens, 
and give ear, earth ; for the Lord hath 
spoken, I have nourished and brought up chil- 
dren, and thevhave rebelled against me." 



312 The Goodness of God 

Now consider, mj fellow sinners, how base 
must be their ingratitude, and how hardened 
in rebellion must those be who can requite such 
goodness with continued and more aggravated 
transgressions. And is not this the very thing 
which you are now doing ? You know how it 
is. And, if indeed you are doing it, you are 
treating the great and terrible God as you could 
not bear to see one neighbor treat another, 
without exclaiming. Scandalous! Insufferable! 
Horrid ! And will you, can you pursue such a 
course any longer ? No : let a sight of God's 
goodness, forbearance and long-suffering lead 
you at once to repentance. 

3. Much more does the goodness of God con- 
sist in providing and offering salvation through 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only does he spare 
the wicked from day to day, but he offers, on 
condition of their repentance, to spare them 
forever. And not only does he bestow upon 
them many temporal blessings, but he offers, on 
the same condition, to bestow upon them the 
infinite blessedness of the life forevermore. 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 313 

This goodness is manifested both in providing 
and in offering this salvation. 

The necessary provision for saving sinners 
was secured by the death of Christ to satisfy 
that justice of God by which they are doomed 
to eternal death. Justice required that this 
suffering should be inflicted on sinners them- 
selves, or an adequate one on some substitute. 
And God has accepted his Son as a substitute, 
who has borne our sins in his own body on the 
tree ; thus making it consistent with his justice 
for God to release transgressors from condem- 
nation : so " that he might he just, and the jus- 
tifier of him which believeth in Jesus." 

Mighty and mysterious was that event which 
provided salvation for fallen man. And well 
might it wake the wonder of a moral universe. 
" Great," indeed, " was the mystery of godli- 
ness," for it was " God manifested in the flesh." 
It was God coming from heaven. It was God 
wrapping himself in humanity, to bear in it the 
sins of a revolted world. So great is this mys- 
tery that well might " the angels desire to look 
14 



314 The Goodness of God 

into it." And well might tlie apostle exclaim 
respecting it, '' Oh the depths of the riches, 
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God." 

Let us ponder awhile this glorious mystery 
of redeeming love. Look at the Son of God 
as seated in " the glory which he had with the 
Father before the world was." " In him dwelleth 
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." He is 
" the brightness of the Father's glory, 'and the 
express image of his person." He is " the 
blessed and only potentate. King of kings, and 
Lord of lords." All the holy angels worship 
him, and all the universe is under his control. 
Look at him — look and adore. 

You have now seen him as the Sovereign of 
the universe ; see him next the babe of Bethle- 
hem. You have seen him seated in robes of 
light, on a throne of infinite glory ; see him 
next in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 
You have seen him " in the form of God, and 
without robbery equal with God." Now we 
see him ^' in the form of a servant, and so poor 
that he had not where to lay his head. You 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 315 

have contemplated liim as the centre and source 
of the happiness of heaven. Now behold him, 
as in the garden of Gethsemane, he is offering 
up prayers and supplications with strong crying 
and tears ;" being in such agony that " his 
sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood fall- 
ing down to the ground." You have just be- 
held him with his legions of angels adoring at 
his feet, or flying as flaming fires, to execute 
his will — • more than twelve legions of them 
subject to his call. But now behold him, 
seized by a ruthless band and hurried to the 
court of Caiphas, where" he is unrighteously 
condemned, buffeted and spit upon. See him 
also at Pilate's bar, where he is mocked with a 
scarlet robe and crown of thorns. Hear, too, 
the outcries of the priests and the populace, for 
his crucifixion. And, finally, behold him dying 
a most painful and ignominious death, amidst the 
darkness and convulsions of astonished nature. 
My fellow sinners, all this humiliation and 
sufferings were borne for you^ that you might 
be delivered from endless shame and sorrow. 



316 The Goodness of God 

How loud, then, the voice from Calvarj, that 
calls you to repentance. As you look upon 
these sufferings of the Son of God — sufferings 
which the sun refused to look upon — and reflect 
that your sins occasioned them, can you persist 
in transgression, thus continuing to "crucify 
the Son of God afresh ?" If you can do so, 
must not your hearts be hardened to very des- 
peration ? For, if a sight of your Savior's suf- 
ferings will not soften them, what is there in 
the universe that can ? 

But in " the love of the Father," in giving 
his Son, and in the grace of his Son, in giving 
himself to die for sinners, let us not overlook 
the forgiving grace of God. Christ did not die 
to make it binding on God to pardon. It was 
to make it possible: in other words, consistent 
with his justice. And now that Christ has died, 
God is under no obligation to forgive and save 
sinners on that account y but only on account of 
his own free offer and promise. He manifests, 
therefore, great goodness and grace, in offering 
and promising salvation to all who will repent 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 317 

and believe. And this should be an additional 
and powerful inducement to repentance ; es- 
pecially as compliance brings eternal life, and 
refusal eternal death. For though God is '' gra- 
cious and merciful, long-suffering and abundant 
in goodness — forgiving iniquity, trangression 
and sin — he will by no means clear" the finally 
impenitent. Sinner, if you break through such 
influences, will you not press your way to hell 
over all other obstacles ? 

Lastly, God manifests his goodness in con- 
tinuing to urge the offers of salvation^ after they 
have been long and contemptuously refused. If, 
after providing, at infinite expense, this great 
salvation, he had made but one offer of it to 
the impenitent, that one offer would be amazing 
grace. That one offer should be enough. And 
when it is once deliberately and willfully refused, 
how wonderful that it should ever be repeated. 
But such is " the goodness and forbearance, 
and long-suffering of God, that he is continually 
repeating it, although it is always rejected, and 
often with contempt and scorn. Surely, it is 



318 The Goodness of God 

because he is " God and not man," that such 
despisers of his mercy are not at once "con- 
sumed." And how wonderful, that he contin- 
ues this offer for many long years, to those who 
not only spurn it, but who rebel against him 
more- and more. 

And much more is this goodness manifested 
in the earnestness with which the deliverance 
from wrath is urged upon the refusing sinner. 
Loudly does he knock at the door of the im- 
penitent, " till his head is filled with dew, and 
his locks with the drops of the night." He as- 
sures them that he deplores their destruction, 
and desires their deliverance. " Have I any 
pleasure at all, that the wicked should die? 
saith the Lord God : and not that he should 
return from his way and live?" "Turn ye, 
turn ye, for why will ye die ?" is his earnest re- 
monstrance. And when, by their persevering 
and obstinate refusal, they make it necessary 
for him to consign them to perdition, he does 
it with affecting reluctance, saying, " How shall 
I give thee up, Ephraim ? How shall I deliver 



A Persuasive to Saltation. 319 

thee, Israel ? How shall I make thee as Ad- 
mah ? How shall I set thee as Zeboim ? Mine 
heart is turned within me. My repentings are 
kindled together." By his ministering servants 
he addresses them in the language of earnest, 
humble supplication. Said the apostle, '^ Now, 
then, we are ambassadors for Christ : as though 
God did heseech you . by us, we ^ray you in 
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." Yes, 
that God who spoke the universe from nothing, 
and goverrjf the numberless worlds he has 
made: that God who "looketh on the earth, 
and it trembleth : who toucheth the hills, and 
tjiey smoke :" and at whose coming, " the 
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and 
the elements shall melt with fervent heat :" that 
great and glorious God comes down to his re- 
bellious subjects, in the language of earnest and 
humble supplication, begging them to " turn 
and live." In short, he manifests that amazing 
compassion which ought to melt a heart of ada- 
mant. My fellow sinners, has it melted yours ? 
Or are they so hard that nothing can melt them. 



320 The Goodness of God 

but the fire that never shall be quenched ? 
No : no : let it not be so. 

Look once more at the riches of God's good- 
ness, that should lead you to repentance. Think 
again, how long, with one hand, he has been 
holding back the sword of justice, while with 
the other, he has been loading you with the 
riches of his temporal • blessings ; instead of 
which you have deserved immediate death and 
woe. Think what humiliation and ignominy 
the Son of God has suffered, that y^u might be 
saved from " shame and everlasting contempt :" 
and what anguish he endured in Gethsemane 
and on Calvary, that you might be kept from 
the everlasting agonies of the second death. 
See him in the garden sorrowing unto death, 
and sweating drops of blood. Behold him on 
the cross, and hear those dying outcries which 
hung the heavens with mourning, and caused 
the earth to quake in consternation. And 
think again of the amazing grace of God, in of- 
fering a salvation so costly : especially in plying 
the offer so long and so earnestly, while it is 



A Persuasive to Salvation. 321 

incessantly rejected with enmity and scorn. 

Think, that in all your long wanderings in the 

ways of sin, Christ has been following you with 

all the interest with which the shepherd would 

seek in the wilderness the lost sheep of his fold. 

Oh think, too, with what joy he would greet 

your return, and call for songs of gladness from 

the millions that surround his throne. 

And now I ask, in conclusion, whether your 

spirits are so base, your hearts so hard, and 

your love of sin so strong that this view of 

God's goodness, forbearance and long-suffering 

will not lead you to repentance ? If it will not, 

must not an intelligent universe decide that your 

" damnation is emphatically just ?'' Nay, must 

they not see it to be peculiarly fit and proper, 

that you, who have so long despised salvation, 

and have so long and so grievously abused the 

goodness and grace of its Author, should suffer 

a signal retribution. But again, I beg of you 

to repent without delay, and thus to escape 

from a doom so deplorable. 
14* 



SERMON XIII 



m GAINS OF GODLINESS ffl TEE FEISENT AND FDIUEE WOEDS. 



•" Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life 
that now is, and of that which is to come" — 1 Tim. 4 : 8. 

From the origin of the word, and from its 
use in the New Testament, we learn that godli- 
ness signifies the worship and service of God : 
in other words, the exercise and practice of the 
Christian religion. The text declares, then, 
that Christianity is " profitable unto all things f^ 
that is, extensively, or in many respects, profit- 
able ; and profitable as regards both the present 
and the future life. 



In Time and Eternity. 323 

But this is a truth which the impenitent are 
very much inclined to disbelieve. And, think- 
ing religion will prevent their present prosper- 
ity and happiness, they resolve to postpone it 
yet longer, whereby many of them are lost for- 
ever. It is important, therefore, to show plainly 
that vast good will result from practical godli- 
ness, both in "the life that now is, and that 
which is to come." As we have said, sinners 
are very averse to seeing their exposure to the 
righteous wrath of God ; consequently, they 
are unwilling to be "persuaded by the terrors 
of the law," to make their escape. Nay, they 
are unwilling that even " the goodness of God 
should lead them to repentance." But much 
more unreasonable must they be, if they refuse 
to be convinced that religion would greatly 
promote their welfare in the present life, as 
well as secure them eternal happiness in the 
life which is to come. May I not hope, then, 
a candid hearing, while I attempt to show some 
of the many ways in which religion promotes the 
present and future welfare of those who embrace 
itl 



324 The Gains of Godliness, 

1. Godliness is profitable for this life. Though 
many regard it as interfering with their pleas- 
ures, profits and honors, it will be found to 
promote them all. It promotes, not so much 
the gratification of our animal natures, as the 
higher pleasures of the understanding and heart. 
It is employed on most interesting themes- — 
themes of the utmost sublimity and beauty — 
thus affording the noblest and richest enjoy- 
ments. As the ancient heathen philsophers 
considered mental and moral philosophy to be 
superior to natural science, so should all others. 
But Christianity infinitely transcends, in beauty, 
grandeur and glory, all the heathen systerds of 
religion and morals. And it not only affords a 
high enjoyment to minds already refined and 
elevated, but it tends to fit others for the like 
enjoyment. It tends to enlighten and refine, 
enlarge and elevate. This is evident, not only 
from its nature, but from its history. Such 
have been its results wherever it has gone. 
What were our ancestors, before they received 
the Bible? Savage, ignorant and stupid idol- 



In Time and Eternity. 325 

aters. It is the Bihle^ and not our Saxon 
blood, that has made us what we are. It is the 
Bible that' has elevated all the enlightened na- 
tions of the day. And the more they are 
Christianized, the more elevated and refined 
they have become. Follow the foreign mis- 
sionary, and see to how many savage and be- 
nighted nations he has given, with the Gospel, 
a literature and a moral elevation. How much, 
then, will the Gospel have effected, when the 
knowledge of " the Lord shall cover the earth 1" 
And how much mental enjoyment will it then 
impart! 

But far greater the enjoyment which religion 
administers to the heart. While a great share 
of mankind regard it as a cheerless, gloomy 
concern, it gives such a delight as the sinner 
never has, and never can enjoy : for even under 
sore trials, the saint " rejoices with joy unspeaka- 
ble and full of glory." — 1 Peter 1 : 8. True, 
it administers at first, much distress and sorrow. 
But these are only the unpleasant medicines 
that bring health and happiness. True, it for- 



326 The Gains of Godliness, 

feids many sinful pleasures. But these are such 
as in the end occasion more sorrow than joy : 
while it gives in their stead, others more satis- 
factory and enduring. True, too, that these 
pleasures are never tasted fey the impenitent. 
But it is because their impenitence prevents it. 
Yet these can see that the real Christian does 
enjoy them ; and is thereby more happy than 
he was before he became a Christian. We see, 
also, from their nature, that religious affections 
are pleasant, while sinful ones are painful. It 
must, however, be confessed, that many pro- 
fessors manifest but little enjoyment in religion. 
They seem, rather to endure religion than to 
enjoy it. But this is not owing to its insuf- 
ficiency to afford such enjoyment, but to their 
own imperfection. If they had more practical 
godliness, they would find more satisfaction in 
it. . And some, from mistaken views of humili- 
ty, are concealing their joy, while they ought 
to let their light shine for the encouragement 
of others. 

But godliness is profitable to no small extent, 



In Time and Eternity. 327 

in the consolation and support whicli it affords 
to the sorrowful and the suffering, and in pre- 
venting the perplexities, pains and fears inci- 
dent to a sinful course. Many and severe are 
the afflictions of life ; and not a few would sink 
under them, if it were not for their trust in God 
to sustain and deliver them, and for their tri- 
umphant hope of a blessed immortality. Often 
has religion made the season of sharpest suffer- 
ing |the season of their greatest joy. From 
many a perplexity and pain does religion de- 
liver, by preventing the sins and follies which 
would have occasioned them. But far greater 
is its benefit in quelling the fears of final wrath. 
As nothing is so distressing as despair, so noth- 
ing is so delightful as an undoubting hope of 
eternal life. 

Again, religion promotes wealth. Although 
we are not to labor first and mainly for the meat 
that perisheth, nor to set our main affections on 
things on the earth, yet we need for our com- 
fort, some share of the good things of this life. 
And though we should not be anxious to be 



S28 The Gains of Godliness, 

very rich, we should seek a competency. And 
religion ministers to that competency. It is 
among the wicked that are found the most of 
our wretched poor. It is our vices, and not 
our virtues, that eat up our possessions, or pre- 
vent their increase. Religion promotes indus- 
try and economy, thus preventing unthrifty in- 
dolence and wasting extravagance. And thus 
it will be generally found, that a greater share 
of the righteous than of the wicked are in easy 
and prosperous circumstances. They have the 
promise, moreover, that if they " seek first the 
kingdom of heaven," they shaU have all the 
earthly good they need. — Matt. 6 : 33. 

Yet again, religion promotes our respedahil- 
ity and honor. And although we are not to 
seek so much the honor that comes from man 
as that which comes from God only, we should 
avoid what is disgraceful, and seek the esteem 
of our fellow men. For " a good name is bet- 
ter than great riches." Nor will an upright 
Christian life prevent, but promote our reputa- 
tion. Many affect to despise the Christian 



In Time and Eternity. 329 

But none can do so, unless they are so ignorant 
or debased that their good opinion is little 
worth. It is vice, not virtue, that degrades a 
man. " Sin is a reproach to any people." 

" Vice is a monster of so foul a mien, 

" That, to be hated, needs but to be seen." 

While truth and honesty, purity and benevo- 
lence, candor and humility, with all other vir- 
tues which follow in the train of religion, are 
truly ennobling. And, if religion were not 
honorable, we should have no hypocrites. 

Furthermore, godliness is profitable, as it 
promotes our tcsefulness, Christianity is a re- 
ligion of love. It installs benevolence in the 
place of selfishness. It carries out our views 
beyond ourselves, and beyond our family to 
our country, to the whole world. It awakes 
our interest and efforts for the whole human 
family, especially for those that are most with- 
in the reach of our influence. " And it is more 
blessed to give than to receive." Benevolence, 
therefore, blesses the benefactor more than the 



330 The Gains of Godliness, 

beneficiary — blesses him " in his deed," in his 
after reflection, and in his final reward. We 
are not happy in proportion to our wealth, 
learning and fame ; nor as we indulge in ease 
and pleasura But we can make these things 
great blessings to others, and thus to ourselves. 
And the only way in which we can make our 
own wealth and talents truly subservient to our 
own happiness is in doing good to our fellow 
men. 

Thus we see that in many ways and to a vast 
extent, godliness is profitable to us in the pres- 
ent life. So that it would be wise to be godly, 
if there were no life to come. It follows, then, 
that we should embrace religion without delay. 
For the sooner we begin its exercise and prac- 
tice, the sooner we shall begin to be truly hap- 
py. What egregious folly, then, to delay re- 
ligion for fear that it will prevent our present 
enjoyment. Yet how many are doing so, while 
their duty and their safety not only, but their 
present welfare, requires them to repent without 
delay. 



In Time and Eternity. 331 

2. Godliness is profitable as regards the life 
to come. We have seen that great are the pres- 
ent evils from which religion delivers us, and 
great the benefits which it secures us in this 
life. ^ But we shall see that infinitely greater are 
the evils prevented and the good secured by it 
in the life to come. The wretchedness and 
bliss of the future world are intense and eternal. 
Who can estimate the woe produced by the 
worm of conscience that never dies, and the 
fire of divine wrath that shall never be quench- 
ed? 

I have said, if there were no hereafter, it 
would be wise to embrace religion without de- 
lay, because of the evils it prevents, and the 
happiness it brings, in the present life. And I 
now say, if it had no " promise of the life that 
now is," but would produce as much unhappi- 
ness as the most of sinners suppose, it would, 
still be infinitely wise to embrace it without 
delay. As the eternal happiness and woe of 
the world to come will infinitely exceed the 
utmost pleasures and suffering of this life, it 



332 The Gains of Godliness, 

would be unspeakably wiser to embrace religion 
early, and to spend a long life in the utmost 
gloom and wretchedness, which piety is ever 
supposed to bring, rather than revel now in the 
utmost pleasure which sin can yield, at the risk 
of losing the soul, and of '^suffering the ven- 
geance of eternal fire." 

So judge those heathen who voluntarily en- 
dure most painful tortures, with the vain hope 
of thereby securing a happy hereafter. And 
they would be wise in so doing, if these means 
were necessary and effectual. But how much 
wiser to secure salvation by faith in the suffer- 
ings of Him who " bore our sins in his own body 
on the tree !" — and to do ii now ^ lest we " sud- 
denly perish, and that without remedy ?" For 
life is uncertain. " We know not what a 
day may bring forth." We should, therefore, 
" agree with our adversary quickly, whilst we 
are in the way with him, lest at any time our 
adversary deliver us to the judge — and we be 
cast into prison." Even if godliness were as 
fraught with wretchedness as sinners suppose, 



In Time and Eternity. 333 

it would be wise to embrace it for the sake of 
its safety. The sinner that is not hopelessly 
hardened, must often be agitated with most 
painful fears of a coming wrath. What a 
blessed religion is that, then, which will secure 
him against them — which will make him tri- 
umphant over his last enemy, and enable him 
to say, " death, where is thy sting ? grave 
where is thy victory ? Thanks be to God who 
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus 
Christ." While to the wicked, the hour of death 
is most dismal and agonizing, to the Chris- 
tian it is most happy and triumphant. For to 
him it is heaven begun. 

Bnt there are other gains than that of safety. 
Although the rewards of the saint are reckoned 
not of debt, but of grace, yet they are appor- 
tioned to the amount of his service. Those, 
then, who serve God longest and most faith- 
fully, will have the highest reward. Martyrs 
will evidently have a brighter crown than those 
who have suffered but little in the cause of 
Christ. And each saint will doubtless be re- 



334 The Gaixs of Godliness, 

warded according to the amount not only of 
his suffering^ but of his service. The servant 
whose pound gained ten pounds was to govern 
ten cities, while the one whose pound gained 
but five pounds was to govern five cities. — 
Luke 19 : 16-19. And the promise of Christ 
is, that if we benefit those who cannot recom- 
pense us in this life, we shall be recompensed 
at the resurrection of the just. We are also 
told, that those who build with hay, wood and 
stubble, shall be saved themselves, but shall 
suffer loss. It is, then, evident, that God re- 
wards men not only according to the character 
of their works, whether good or bad, but ac- 
cording to the amount of them. The sooner, 
then, we turn to God, the longer time we shall 
have for " laying up in store a good foundation 
against the time to come." And how much 
better to increase our treasures in heaven than 
those which we have on earth ; since the latter 
must perish so soon, and the others will endure 
forever. We seem to think it important to add 
to our stores on earth, that we may render our 



In Time and Eternity. 335 

condition more pleasant, and provide for sick- 
ness and old age. But how much more im- 
portant to secure a place in the " house of many 
mansions," and to render our eternal abode in 
it as delightful as possible. And though, as 
we have seen, the increase of our earthly treas- 
ures does not of itself increase our present hap- 
piness, yet the more treasure we lay up in 
heaven, the more benefit we derive from our 
treasures on earth. By seeking first the king- 
dom of God and his righteousness, we secure 
the promise that all needful things will be given 
us. And though the amount of our possessions 
may be small, our enjoyment of them will be 
great, in proportion to our piety. It is there- 
fore said, that " a little that a righteous man 
hath is better than the riches of many wick- 
ed."— Ps. 37: 16. 

Thus we find it to be emphatically true, that 
"Godliness," with contentment, is great gainy— 
1 Tim. 6 : 6. What amazing folly, then, to 
neglect the " one thing needful," and to run 
the risk of losing the infinite joys of heaven, 



336 The Gains of Godliness, 

and of enduring the endless sorrows of perdition, 
merely to chase after the possessions, pleasures 
and honors of earth ; especially as they are so 
uncertain of attainment and continuance. On 
the contrary, how wise to accept salvation with- 
out delay, and to spend all our lives faithfully 
in his service, since, if we do so, " all things 
will work together for good," both on earth and 
in heaven. 

It must be evident to all, that the most need- 
ful and important work of life is the one that 
should have our first and chief attention. And 
that godliness which involves the salvation of 
the soul must be emphatically the " one thing 
needful." It is needfuly2i^ it induces ihQ faith 
and repentance without which none can be for- 
given, and the '' holiness without which no man 
shall see the Lord." And it is important in 
proportion to the greatness of the salvation 
which it involves — a salvation of infinite mo- 
ment, on account of the evils from which it de- 
livers, and of the blessings which it secures. 
Now, the sufferings of the lost must be great, 



In Time and Eternity. 337 

though they consisted only in shame and re- 
morse for past transgressions, and in the pain 
inflicted by the eternal frown of an angry God. 
No pains surpass the sufferings of a fully 
a.wakened conscience. We learn from the strong 
language in which the Scriptures express the 
suffering of the lost, that it must be intense and 
awful. They represent it as ''a resurrection to 
shame and everlasting contempt." — Dan. 12: 
2 — as being "in hell in torments." — Luke 16: 
23 — and as being " tormented with fire and 
brimstone." — Rev. 14 : 10. Many make them- 
selves merry in scoffing at this language, for- 
getting, I suspect, that it is the language of 
the great God himself; therefore, that such 
merriment is impious and blasphemous. This 
language, though figurative, is intensive in its 
meaning, and must represent the punishment 
of those who are lost to be very great. Al- 
though the miseries of all who perish will not 
be equally severe, but will be apportioned to 
the sinfulness of each, and no one will suffer 
more than his sins deserve, yet the sufferings 
15 



338 The Gains of Godliness, 

of all will be eternal. For, the punisliment into 
which thev are banished is an •• everlasting pun- 
ishment." — Mat. 25 : 46. The destruction 
which they suffer is an '' everlasting destruc- 
tion." — 2 Thess. 1: 9. The vengeance that 
overtakes them is "the vengeance of eternal 
fire." — Jude 7. All the impenitent, therefore, 
" are in danger of eternal damnation." — Mark 
3 : 29. How great, then, the salvation that 
delivers from this deep and endless woe. 

It is also great on account of the happiness 
which it secures. In heaven, there shall be 
neither hunger or thirst, pain or sorrow. — Rev. 
7: 16; 21: 4. It is a place where is fullness 
of joy, and pleasures forevermore. — Ps. 16: 
11 — a place of "exceeding joj." — 1 Peter 4 : 
13 ; and Jude 24 : a jov exceeding anything 
which man has felt or conceived ; for " eve hath 
not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered 
into the heart the things that God hath prepared 
for them that love him.^'' — 1 Cor. 2 : 9. Else- 
where, Paul expresses it as "a far more exceed- 
ing and eternal weight of glory. — 2 Cor. 4 : 



In Time and Eternity. 339 

17. But it is enough to know that it will fulfill 
the desires of every saint; so that each one 
may say with the Psalmist, " I shall be satisfied^ 
when I awake in thy likeness." Ps. 17: 15. 
How great, then, the salvation that delivers 
from so much misery, and leads to so much 
bliss. 

My fellow sinners, I have presented these 
thoughts to you for the purpose of persuading 
you to secure salvation without delay. I might 
urge you, as is often done, by the consideration 
of daiiger. But I prefer now to urge you only 
by the consideration of gain — gain both in the 
present and the future life. I do so, because it 
is seldom urged, while many stand in need of 
it. Multitudes, and you probably among the 
rest, are postponing religion for fear that it 
will prevent their present happiness, while it 
would greatly promote it. It is, therefore, of 
vast importance, that their error should be cor- 
rected. Then, will you not lay the subject to 
heart ? I fear you are not willing to be con- 
vinced of your dangerous error, by the argu- 



340 The Gains of Godliness, • 

ments that have now been presented. But I 
beg of you to look at them with more candor 
and attention. Even if your notion were true, 
it will do you no harm to examine it more 
thoroughly. But ah ! if it be/aZse, how great 
your danger, and folly and guilt, in refusing to 
be convinced of it. How can you endure to 
reflect forever, that you have lost an eternity 
of bliss, and incurred an eternity of woe, be- 
cause you feared religion would hinder your 
happiness on earth, while you have learned, 
too late, that it would have made you far more 
happy, both on earth and in heaven ? 

You have seen many a passage of God's holy 
Word which teaches you that godliness would 
make you far more happy than you could be in 
the way of sin. And while professing to believe 
the Bible, will you still denj^ these, its plain 
declarations ? When it tells you " the way of 
the transgressor is hard," and that " the wicked 
are like the troubled sea, that cannot rest ;" 
and when it tells you, on the other hand, that 
" wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and 



In Time and Eternity. 341 

all her paths are peace," and that the righteous 
are called upon to " rejoice without ceasing," 
and " evermore:" yea, to "rejoice and be ex- 
ceeding glad," and that they actually do so, 
with joy unspeakable, will you practically deny 
all these declarations, both breaking God's laws 
and " making him a liar ?" Pause for a mo- 
ment, I beseech you, in this impious and peril- 
ous path. Pause and think. 

Why do you insist that religion would prevent 
your present happiness ? Do you say you know 
it to be so from your own experience f You 
have no experience of religion. You have never 
had one religious feeling, nor performed aright 
one Christian duty. To know, from experience, 
the true effect of Christianity, you must become 
Christians yourselves. In other words, you must 
undergo a radical change of heart. And that 
would cause you to have and enjoy most of all 
that which awakened in you previously most 
aversion and distress. And this is aptly illus- 
trated by the restoration of the body to health. 
To the sick man, wholesome and palatable food 



342 The Gains of Godliness, 

is most disgusting and distressing. But when 
restored to health, this same food becomes his 
delight. And you are diseased with the worst 
of maladies — sick unto death. And conse- 
quently you loathe " the bread that comes down 
from heaven," and "that meat which endureth 
unto everlasting life." But if the great Physi- 
cian should lay his healing hand on you, you 
would love it, and delight in it above all things 
earthly. Then you would say with the Psalmist, 
that the Bible is " more to be desired than gold, 
yea than much fine gold: sweeter also than 
honey and the honey-comb." Then you would 
say with the Apostle, " I delight in the law of 
God after the inward man." And then the day 
and worship of God, now so dreary, would be 
your great delight. In short, you would find 
far greater enjoyment in the service of God, 
than you ever found before in the pleasures of 
sin. 

And the truth of this you can learn, not only 
from the word of God, but from your own oh- 
nervation. You should have learned it already. 



In Time and Eternity. 343 

Have you not known some who once delighted 
in nothing but folly, worldliness and sin ; and 
who had a perfect aversion to religion ? Yet, 
have you not seen them turn right about to 
serve God as earnestly as they did the riches, 
pleasures and honors of earth before? Yes, 
and they tell you they are far more happy in the 
ways of godliness than they were in the ways 
of sin. Are they ignorant, or deluded by en- 
thusiasm ? No : they are as intelligent and 
well-balanced as any of the impenitent. Are 
they, then, dishonest? No: you would take 
their word on any other subject as soon as that 
of any other man. Yes : and you might know 
they were more happy than before, though they 
had never told you so. For they show it in 
their looks and actions. And on looking around, 
you will find, that in general. Christians are, to 
say the least, quite as happy as those who .shun 
religion, in order to be happy in this world. 
Once they thought, as you have done, that re- 
ligion would rob them of enjoyment in life- 
But experience has taught them their mistake. 



344 Tke Gains of Godliness, 

Let it teacli you tlie same. You are called upon 
to " taste and see that tlie Lord is good." And 
surelj the experiment is safe. For, if you find 
by experience, that religion hinders your hap- 
piness, you are not obliged to continue in it. 

Think, too, how irrational is the notion that 
religion would render you unhappy. Is it rea- 
sonable to suppose that God, who is the giver 
of " every good and perfect gift," would make 
his enemies happy while rebelling against him, 
and his friends wretched while faithful in his 
service ? Can those who rejoice in the hope 
of " a far more exceeding and eternal weight 
of glory" be more unhappy than those who are 
under the sentence of eternal death and woe ? 
Can the " fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, 
peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
meekness and temperance," make men more 
wretched than wrath, malice, envy, revenge, 
impatience, rebellion of heart, and the like sin- 
ful passions ? No : you are aware that the 
former class are pleasant, while the other are 
very painful. Again, if religious affections, 



In Time and Eternity. 345 

few and faint as they are in this life, would 
make you unhappy, how intensely wretched 
would they make you in heaven, where they 
will be in constant and perfect exercise. Why 
not dread going to heaven, then, above all other 
things ? And if all your happiness is in sin, 
why not " dig into hell," where you can enjoy 
the pleasures of sin in its fullness ? 

No : my fellow sinners, if you consider this 
subject candidly, you must be fully convinced 
that religion would greatly increase^ instead of 
preventing your happiness in this world, as well 
as secure to you an eternity of blessedness in 
the world to come. If, then, you would be 
"wise for yourselves," you should resolve to 
seek salvation without delay. 



SERMON XIV. 

WHY SALYATION IS PROYIDED FOR AND OFFERED 

TO THE PERISHING SINNEE. 



" Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom^ seeing 
he hath no heart to it ?" — Prov. 17 : 16. 



In this passage, the word "wisdom is evidently 
used in a moral^ and not in its intellectual sense. 
It denotes true religion. The propriety of this 
use of the word is emphatic. The practice of 
religion is the perfection of wisdom. For it 
attains the best of ends by the best of means ; 
than which nothing can be wiser. It secures 



To Perishing Sinners. 347 

eternal life : and this is the highest good of 
man. It secures it, moreover, bj the best 
means possible ; for it does it by the only means 
possible. And as such is the wisdom mention- 
ed in the text, its inquiry must be, "Wherefore 
is there a price in the hand of a fool to get re- 
ligion," and thus eternal life ? 

And if the word " wisdom" means religion, 
then folly must mean ^Vreligion, or sin. Con- 
sequently, the correlative term " fool," in the 
text, must signify the sinner, or the impenitent, 
irreligious man. And thus the question of the 
text is, " Wherefore is there a price in the hand 
of a sinner to become a Christian," and thus se- 
cure salvation ?" 

Again, the word translated " price" in the 
text, ^igm^e^ possessions or riclies. And it is 
here used figuratively, to signify the opportu- 
nity and means of securing salvation. As one 
frequent way of procuring what we need is 
purchase^ the Scriptures use this word repeat- 
edly, to express metaphorically the procure- 
ment of salvation. ^^Buy the truth and sell it 



348 Why Salvation is Offered 

not." " Come buy wine and milk, without 
money and without price." 

In this use of the word, the price of a thing 
is that sacrifice or effort by which it can be ob- 
tained. Sometimes it is self-denial^ as in the 
case of health. And we say, a man will not 
'pay the price of health, because he will not deny 
his appetites and passions enough to secure it. 
Sometimes it is attention and toil, as in the ac- 
quisition of learning, reputation or wealth. 
And we say men remain in ignorance, obscurity 
and want, merely because they will not pay the 
attention, or expend the energy which deliver- 
ance from these evils would cost. And thus 
the " price" mentioned in the text is that by 
which spiritual wisdom is obtained. 

But it does not here mean an equivalent^ or 
something of an equal value — given by way 
of exchange. For in such a sense, the price of 
salvation is of infinite value. For "What shall 
it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, 
and lose his own soul ?" It is not redeemed 
with such "corruptible things as silver and 



To Perishing Sinners. 349 

gold — but witli tlie precious blood of Christ.'^ 
In such a sense of tlie term, too, it is purchased 
for us already : and we can have it, " without 
money and without price.^^ But the price in 
the text has regard to what we have ourselves 
to do, to get our title to this " purchased pos- 
session :" that is, to comply with the conditions 
of salvation. 

To say that this price is in the hand of a fool, 
to get wisdom, is virtually to assert that the 
sinner has all needful ability to secure salvation. 
If, as some assert, he has no such power, I see 
not how the language of the text can be true. 
It seems to me, that if the text teaches any- 
thing, it teaches what all, but the most ultra 
of Calvinists, believe, viz., that all gospel sinners 
could comply with the conditions of salvation, 
if they luould. 

But there is another clause in the text which 
demands our attention. *' Seeing he hath no 
heart to it." In these words, it is virtually de- 
clared, that though the sinner has power, he 
has no disposition to obtain salvation. The 



350 Why Salvation is Offered 

word " heart" is used here, as it often is, both 
in Scripture and in common discourse, to sig- 
nify the permanent inclination of the souL To 
say a man has no heart for a thing, is to say he 
has no taste or relish for it, consequently no 
desire to obtain it. But the sinner is not only 
wanting in inclination, he is positively averse 
to salvation. This aversion is often asserted 
in God's Word. *' But my people would not 
hearken to my voice ; and Israel would none of 
me. So I gave them up to their own hearts' 
lusts, and they walked in their own counsels." 
'^The fear of the Lord is the beginning of 
knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and in- 
struction." " They that do evil, hate the light, 
neither come to it, lest their deeds should be 
reproved." "Ye will not come unto me, that 
ye might have life." And elsewhere sinners 
are baid to "refuse and rebel," and to "reject 
the kingdom of God against themselves." We 
see, then, that while they have all needful abil- 
ity and means for securing salvation, they are 
utterly unwilling to do so. 



To Perishing Sinners. 351 

Having now ascertained the meaning of each 
word and phrase in the text, let us consider 
next its peculiar pith and power. The whole 
weight of its meaning will be found to rest on 
the single word " wherefore." " Wherefore is 
there a price in the hand of a fool to get wis- 
dom, seeing he hath no heart to it ?" Here a 
momentous and solemn question is propounded. 
The question is. Why does God afford to sinners 
all needful opportunity of becoming Christians, 
and thus of securing salvation, while they are 
totally averse to it ? And certainly there is 
great occasion for such an inquiry. For God 
has done much ; much also is he still doing, to 
enable sinners to "lay hold on eternal life." 

It is at infinite expense, that God has pro- 
vided this price for sinners to get wisdom. 
Much had to be done to make ^dlYdXion possible. 
An atonement had to be made. And for this 
the Son of God had to " lay aside his most di- 
vine array," to vacate his throne in heaven, come 
down to earth, and become the persecuted Babe 
of Bethlehem, to lead a life of wandering, toil, 



352 Why Saltation is Offered 

and sorrow, and to become so poor, that he 
" had not where to lay his head." For this he 
had to groan in Gethsemane, " sweating drops 
of blood," and "sorrowing unto death." For 
this he had to be unjustly condemned by Cai- 
phas and Pilate ; to be mocked, scourged and 
spit upon. And more than all these, he had to 
" bear our sins in his own body," while endur- 
ing the accursed death of the cross. And still 
is he doing much to enable sinners to secure 
this great salvation. For this he is proclaiming 
this salvation by his printed and preached word, 
as well as by many other means of grace. Thus 
is he affording them all needful instruction, and 
is entreating and warning them to flee from the 
wrath to come. He is also sustaining their 
lives, while reason asks, " Wherefore do the 
wicked live ? and justice cries, " Cut them 
down : why cumber they the ground ?" He 
sends af&ictions " for their profit, that they may 
be partakers of his holiness." He lavishes his 
blessings upon them, that " his goodness may 
lead them to repentance." Above all, he sends 



To Perishing Sinners. 353 

his Holy Spirit, to set home with the greater 
power, the wooings and warnings of his provi- 
dence and Word. 

The conditions on which salvation is offered 
are the easiest which the well-being of the uni- 
verse would allow God to name. They are re- 
pentance and faith, both of which are essential 
to his moral government. Repentance, as we 
have shown, is a purpose to cease from sin, and 
to live ever after in obedience to God. And 
who does not see that, if he should pardon sin- 
ners while they are persisting in rebellion, he 
would encourage such rebellion, and thus would 
paralyze his own authority throughout his moral 
universe ? Nor could the pardoned themselves 
be happy, till they ceased to rebel. Thus, too, 
does faith need to be insisted on, because it in- 
volves the acknowledgment of sin as so great 
an evil that nothing but the blood of Christ can 
atone for it ; and thus dissuades from it : and 
because it " works by love, purifying the heart 
and overcoming the world." 

And not only are these conditions necessary : 



354 Why Salvation is Offered 

tliej are easy. Thej are such, that sinners 
could easily comply with them, if they had a 
*' heart to it." The way of salvation is so plain, 
that " wayfaring men, though fools, need not 
err therein." And the Lord affords so much 
aid by his providence. Word and Spirit, that 
he well inquires, " What more could I have 
done to my vineyard that I have not done in 
it ?" The conditions of life, then, are easy. 
But mistake me not. I do not say that sinners 
need not struggle and " strive to enter in at the 
straight gate." I know that many have to 
"agonize" in doing so. Yet I say, the difficul- 
ties with which they have to contend are not 
in the way itself^ but in their own hearts. This 
may be illustrated by the conduct of a froward 
child. He has carried off his mother's scissors, 
and is doing mischief with them. She com- 
mands him to return them forthwith ; but in a 
fit of anger he throws them on the floor. She 
repeats her command, and threatens the rod. 
But this only increases his anger and stubborn- 
ness. As he stands pouting and puffing in 



To Perishing Sinners. 355 

"wrath and wretchedness, how hard it is to stoop 
and take those scissors to his mother. But 
what makes it so difficult ? Not his weakness 
or their loeiglit^ but his own froward spirit. If 
his own heart were right, how much easier were 
it to obey with cheerfulness than to rebel in 
surliness and ire. 

But " wherefore" is God doing so much for 
the salvation of sinners, while they are so un- 
willing to secure it ? Why all this expenditure 
of divine power and goodness, apparently to 
no purpose ? Surely, such a question deserves 
profound attention. 

But a question very different from this is 
asked by many. They inquire, why God does 
not give both the price to get wisdom, and the 
heart to improve it ? They complain, because 
he only gives them those means and opportuni- 
ties by which they might easily obtain salvation, 
if they only would: insisting that he should 
likewise give them a disposition rightly to em- 
ploy them. Of this complaint, let reason and 

candor judge. What claim of favor have they 
15* 



356 Why Salvation is Offered 

on God, who for tlieir sins deserve liis indigna- 
tion and wrath ? Evidently, none at all. What 
he has done to make their salvation j^ossi&Ze is 
an infinite gratuity. And all he is now doing 
to urge and aid them in securing this salvation 
is grace, rich grace. What heaven-daring ef- 
frontery, then, to complain, that more is not 
done. How can they claim more, when they 
deserve nothing at all ? — nothing but indigna- 
tion and wrath. The complaint is most absurd 
and preposterous. They have no heart or dis- 
position to do what would secure eternal life : 
and yet they complain that God does not make 
them do it. They choose to go on in the way 
to death, and yet blame God for letting them 
have their choice. What more can they claim, 
or even ash^ than to have it in their power to 
"get" what they need? And all this they 
have. The full price of wisdom or eternal life 
is in their hands — and has been there long. 
If, then, they fail to use it, and thereby perish, 
w^hose fault is it ? When a pardon is signed 
and sealed, offered and urged upon a criminal, 



To Perishing Simers. 357 

and he freely refuses it, may he complain that 
the executive did not make Mm luilUng to re- 
ceive it ? 

But the question returns : " Wherefore is there 
a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom ?" 
For God does put this ^rice into the hands of 
many : yes, and he keeps it there for many 
months and years, while they have no heart to 
improve it. And he has momentous and solemn 
reasons for doing so. Nor is it a matter of lit- 
tle importance to inquire why he is acting thus. 
Let us look, then, at some of these reasons. 
But, by the way, we shall find them very differ- 
ent from those which many have supposed. 
Many seem to think he does it out oi justice to 
sinners; and that it would have been unright- 
eous in God, if he had left them without a way 
of escape from his threatened and righteous 
wrath. But he was under no obligation to pro- 
vide even an atonement. If he had left fallen 
man, as he did fallen angels, not a murmur 
would have been heard in all his holy universe. 
This is a provision which mercy may ask ; but 



358 Why Salvation is Offered 

justice^ never. Rather would justice /or&zc? it. 
Much less, then, does it require all that aid to 
salvation which is comprehended in that " price" 
which is in the hands of sinners for securing 
salvation. What ! when a man deserves a pun- 
ishment, must his government provide him a 
way of escape from it ? This price, then, is not 
provided because justice demands it : and we 
have yet to ask. Wherefore ? 

The great, primary, leading and general rea- 
son for putting this price into the hands of sin- 
ners must be, to secure their salvation. The 
entire plan of redemption requires such aid and 
opportunities to be afforded. In accordance 
with the whole structure of his moral govern- 
ment, God purposes to save all those, and only 
those who fr^eely accept salvation on the terms 
of repentance and faith. Therefore, he must 
needs afford them such opportunities as shall 
make that acceptance practicable. Many who 
hold this price of wisdom with no present dis- 
position to improve it, are yet to be brought, 
through interposing grace, to "make their 



To Perishing Sinners. 359 

calling and election sure." And it is easy to 
see why this neglected, despised and abused 
price was kept in their hands so long. It is, 
that God's long-suffering mercy may redound 
to his greater glory by their more signal salva- 
tion. Oh, how many will have occasion to sing 
his praise the louder, because he has waited on 
them so long, to be gracious. 

This answers the question as to those who 
are to be eventually saved. But here a more 
difficult question meets the mind. Many who 
have this price in hand will never improve it. 
And God, who "knoweth all things," /oresees 
that they never wilL And now the question 
is, Wherefore is there a price in the hand of 
such^ to get wisdom ? This may prove to be a 
question of fearful moment to sonie who now 
hear me. They may be hoping, that by and 
by, somehow or other, they shall be willing to 
accept of offered mercy, while God sees ihey 
never, never will. To them, then, the question 
why God continues to them the day of grace 
and the means of salvation, is indeed a fearful 



360 Why Salvation is Offered 

one. Let me entreat eacli sinner, then, to pon- 
der it most solemnly. 

The only prominent reason which I can con- 
ceive of, wherefore God continues this price in 
the hands of those who never will improve it 
is, that Tie may make to the universe a fuller dis- 
play of his justice and mercy. If any other 
reason can be given, I would be happy to hear 
of it. But I can conceive of none. Nor do I 
insist, that the one now named is directly or 
definitely announced in the Word of God. Yet 
it seems to be mdirectly and virtually taught 
in many places there. Those who are to be fi- 
nally lost are left of God to act themselves out 
freely, in view of his commands and threaten- 
ings, his invitations and promises, according to 
their own hearts' desires : and then he rewards 
them accordingly. Having made all needful 
provisions for their salvation, he entreats them 
to glorify him by accepting and enjoying it. 
But he is not to be robbed of his glory by their 
refusal. If they will not glorify him, in the 
enjoyment of his mercy, they must glorify him 
in the endurance of his wrath. 



To Perishing Sinners. 361 

" He hath appointed a day, in the which he 
will judge the world in righteousness" — a day 
when he will "bring every secret thing into 
judgment," and " reward every man according 
to his works." And then the universe will see 
how great has been his grace, as well as how 
perfect his justice to the children of men. And 
as to those who have long held the price of sal- 
vation, and have perished because they would 
not improve it, all will see that, as the Apostle 
says, God " endured, with much long-suffering, 
these vessels of *wrath that are fitted for de- 
struction" — fitted the more emphatically by 
their neglect and abuse of his saving grace. It 
will be seen that his patience was wonderful, 
that his mercy was amazing. It will show 
he was " not willing that any should perish ;" 
and that he took vengeance on the impenitent 
only when their 'persevering rejection of salvation 
compelled him to do so. At the same time it 
will show the aggravated guilt of those who 
perish notwithstanding the offers and urgencies 

of gospel grace, showing that they deserve the 
16 



362 Why Saltation is Offered 

greater damnation. And thus it ^yi]i render 
more signal, and more glorious that justice 
which consigns them to the " perdition of ungod- 
ly men." It is the long-suffering and amazing 
grace of God toward those who perish in des- 
pite of all that he has done to save them, and 
his final vengeance on them, that will call out 
the loudest acclamations of praise from a holy 
universe : acclamations closing with the chorus 
of *'Alleluiah! for the Lord God omnipotent 
reigneth." Yes: and these things too, will 
awake the loudest wail in all the pit of hell. 

"Whenever sinners think at all on the terrors 
of the world of woe, they seem to suppose that 
they owe all their fearfulness to the violations 
of God^s moral law. But it is not so. It is the 
Gosjpel^ and not the law — the Gospel, with its 
provisions and offers of life, its entreaties and 
urgencies to escape from death, that will be to 
the lost, the most painful object of their con- 
templation in that dark world. For they will 
see, as they look back to earth, that while heav- 
en was forfeited by sin, but might have been 



To Perishing Sinners. 3G3 

secured by repentance and faith, yet by their 
voluntary and pertinacious impenitence and un- 
belief, they have been all their lives long re- 
fusing it. They will see, not only that their 
doom isjust^ but that if they have been resolute 
and persevering in anything through life, it has 
been in keeping themselves under this doom to 
death and woe : that at any moment during 
life — and that perhaps a long one — they 
might, by one single step, have secured salva- 
tion, but would not : and would not, simply be- 
cause they were so much attached to sin and 
opposed to holiness. And thus they will see 
that they perish only because they have spent 
all their lives in opposing their own salvation 
.; My fellow sinners, this certainly is a subject 
which you should now most solemnly consider. 
No subject on earth should so deeply concern 
you. You have long had this price in your 
hands. Ample provisions have been made for 
your salvation. Christ has died for you, that 
you, by believing in him, " might not perish, 
but have eternal life." For you the feast of 



364 Why Salvation is Offered 

grace has been spread. And long and loudly 
has mercy called, " Come, for all things are now 
ready." Yes, on God's part, all things needful 
to your salvation are ready now, and have been 
long. All that is lacking, in order to make 
your salvation sure, is on your part. Nor do 
you lack ability. It is only a " heart to it," "a 
willing mind," that is wanting. You need only 
to consent to be saved in that only and easy 
-way which God could provide. It is only to 
resolve to give up those sins which have brought 
you nothing but wretchedness and ruin; to 
walk in the ways of '' pleasantness and peace ;" 
and to trust in Christ for pardon and life : all 
which you could do with infinite ease, if you 
had but the consent of your own wills. What, 
then, can you ask more ? 

Do you ask the aid of the Holy Spirit ? In 
my opinion, you have enough of it already to 
bring you to repentance and faith, if you did 
not resist that influence. I believe the persua- 
sions of the Word aod Spirit of God would 
press you at once through the straight gate of 



To Perishing Sinners. 365 

life, if you did not brace yourselves against 
them. Nor should you expect any more of 
this influence till you put yourselves in a proper 
posture to receive it. How insulting to resist 
what you have, and then ask for more. Nay, 
beware how you quench that Spirit any longer, 
lest you grieve him away entirely and forever. 
Yet you insist, perhaps, that you wish the 
Spirit's influence in sufi&cient measures to over- 
come your opposition. But such a desire you 
can never have. You may, and probably do 
see your need of such influence. But still you 
cannot wish it. You cannot choose to have 
your choice opposed and overcome. That were 
to choose contraries at the same time, which is 
impossible. 

No, my fellow sinners, let me tell you plainly 
and honestly, although I would do it with all 
aff'ection and tenderness, if you have any feeling 
about receiving more of the Spirit's influence, 
it is the feeling of fear : and not a fear that you 
will have too little to secure your salvation, but 
too much to allow you to continue on in your 



366 Why Salvation is Offered 

chosen and cherished sins. I know not that 
you feel any anxiety at all about it. But if you 
have some distress or solemnity on the subject 
of your salvation, and have not already resolved 
to comply with its conditions without delay, 
you are secretly resolving to go on still longer 
in sin. And the more the Word and Spirit of 
God are pressing you to forsake this danger- 
ous way, the more do you brace yourselves in 
resistance against them. You say within your- 
selves, " It is true, this is a solemn subject, and 
these are powerful arguments and warnings. 
But^ I am not going to be overcome by them ; 
for I am not yet ready to leave the sins I love." 
It is thus that all awakened sinners fight against 
their own salvation, till they conquer their con- 
victions, or else yield to them, and ^' enter into 
life." 

Deceive not yourselves, dear sinners^ with 
the too common notion, that you have a wish 
to be ivilUng to comply with the offers of mer- 
cy. The text teaches you that you have none : 
*' no heart to it." And, if you would examine 



To Perishing Sinners. 367 

yourselves faithfully, you would be conscious 
you had none. Doubtless you wish to escape 
divine wrath. But not in the way which God 
has provided. If you were willing to be saved 
in his way, you would be saved at once. Doubt- 
less, too, you are convinced of the importance 
of salvation. But this does not alter the in- 
clination of your heart. Your reason, judg- 
ment, conscience, may all declare in favor of 
immediate repentance and faith. But these 
are the workings only of your understandings. 
They are but portions of that price which is 
put into your hands to get wisdom ; while the 
inclination of your hearts is in direct opposition 
to them. And this evil inclination you will 
follow. Men should be guided by the dictates 
of reason, enlightened by revelation. And if 
you would do so, you would secure salvation at 
once. But you refuse to take that course 
which Scripture and conscience tell you is the 
only way of happiness and safety. You will 
follow the perverse, headlong inclination of 
your wicked hearts. And in this is all your 



368 Why Salvation is Offered' 

difficulty : yes, and in this is all your danger. 
Since, then, you so deliberately and pertina- 
ciously refuse to improve your ample, your all- 
sufficient means and opportunities of grace, to 
the saving of your soul, you need to ponder the 
question of the text with intense and solemn 
attention. Instead of captiously inquiring why 
more aids are not afforded, you have occa- 
sion to wonder why so many are afforded you, 
and have been continued so long. You have 
reason to fear, that those now enjoyed will soon 
be removed, because you fail to improve them 
in securing salvation : or that, if continued, 
they will only be the occasion of your " treas- 
uring up unto yourselves the greater wrath 
against the day of wrath." 

Your present delay to enter into life is proof 
probable that you will alioays delay : for you 
will always have as good reasons for delay ; 
and, left to yourselves, you will always have 
the same inclination to delay. There is a fear- 
ful probability, then, that God is keeping the 
price of wisdom in your hands with no expecta- 



To Perishing Sinners. 369 

tion that you will be saved ; and doing it, there- 
fore, that he may make a fuller demonstration 
to the universe of his long-suffering grace not 
only, but of his more signal and glorious justice 
in your final perdition. For, if you will perse- 
vere in the rejection of life, what but this dread- 
ful purpose can there be left to him ? Oh sin- 
ner, if you would not make the present grace 
of God a source of eternal and unutterable an- 
guish in the world of woe, delay no longer to 
accept of salvation. 
16* 



SERMON XV. 



THE GOSPEL AN IMMENSE LOSS OR AN IMMENSE GAIN. 



"For, we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are 
saved, and in them that perish ; to the one we are the savor of death 
unto death ; and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is 
sufficient for these things?^' — 2 Cor. 2: 15, 16. 

Paul speaks, in these words, of himself, and 
of his brethren in the ministry. What he says 
is therefore applicable to all faithful ministers. 
All, then, who preach Christ faithfully "are 
unto God a sweet savor of Christ." This " sa- 
vor," fragrance, or perfume alludes to the " holy 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 371 

anointing oil," which was a compound of the 
oil of olives and certain fragrant spices, and 
which was poured upon the priests, at their 
consecration. — Ex. 30 : 23-30 : or to the frank- 
incense and other aromatics which were offered 
in the Jewish sacrifices. Such ministers are a 
sweet savor of Christ to God, in that they faith- 
fully hold forth Mm who "hath given himself 
for us, an offering, a sacrifice to God, for a 
sweet-smelling savor." — Eph. 5: 2. 

Yet this savor, or perfume, is said to be both 
** in them that are saved, and in them that per- 
ish." It is so, in that Christ is offered to both — 
offered alike to all, " whether they will hear, 
or whether they will forbear." He is equally 
acceptable to God, whether his atonement is re- 
ceived or rejected by men. Yes, and he will be 
equally glorified^ whether the offered salvation 
is accepted or not ; for he is not to be robbed 
of his glory by the sinner's refusal of eternal 
life. And on this account, the ministers who 
preach Christ faithfully are equally acceptable 
to God, and can equally triumph in the Lord, 



372 The Gospel 

whether successful or unsuccessful in their la- 
bors for the salvation of their fellow-men. 

But the truth in the text that mainly con- 
cerns us is, that the gospel has a vastly different 
effect on different individuals. To some, it is 
" a savor of life unto life," and to others, " a 
savor of death unto death." While with some 
it eventuates in their salvation, with others it 
eventuates in their greater guilt, and their 
deeper damnation. Not that its aim or ten- 
dency is to lead any one down to woe. It is 
the word of life, and not of death. Its object 
and adaptation is to bring men from death un- 
to life. And the opposite effect is produced 
by the sinner's rejection of it. He becomes the 
more guilty, and thereby exposed to a much 
sorer punishment, " by the greater light against 
which he sins," and the more mercy which he 
abuses. 

Prompted by a view of these solemn consid- 
erations, Paul exclaims, ''And who is sufficient 
for these things ?" We may suppose he meant 
to express, in these words, the greatness of the 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 373 

work of the ministry, and the greatness of its 
results : consequently, the great amount of 
power and grace which ministers of the Gospel 
need. And well might he do so: for with 
what energy, caution and perseverance must 
they labor, in order to meet divine acceptance, 
and be " a sweet savor of Christ unto God 1" 
But it seems to me that the like exclamation 
might be made with equal propriety by those 
who listen to their messages of mercy. Con- 
sidering the diflPerent and momentous results 
which follow from these messages, well might 
they exclaim, " Who is sufficient for these 
things?" The one topic, therefore, which the 
text suggests to my mind is. 

The solemn responsibility, both of those who 
preach and of those who hear the Gospel. 

Who, then, is sufficient for the ministry of 
the Gospel ? It is employed on themes most 
lofty and profound — themes, too, of infinite 
moment. The work is most arduous and diffi- 
cult : and one whose results are infinitely de- 
lightful, or infinitely dreadful : while much de- 



374 The Gospel 

pends on the way in which the work is done, 
whether it prove "a savor of life unto life," or 
of " death unto death." The minister needs, 
then, no little preparation of head and of heart, 
in order that his work may be *' well done." 
He needs much knowledge and judgment, tact 
and skill, as well as much faith, love, and zeal. 
To reprove and warn the wicked with sufficient 
faithfulness, and yet to do it without a needless 
and injurious harshness, also to adapt his in- 
structions to each, so as to render them most 
inoffensive, yet most effective, is no easy task. 
Since, then, their souls are so precious, and 
since so much depends on his faithfulness, 
whether they are saved or lost, how much, how 
cautiously, and how long must he labor with 
them, before he can say with safety, that he is 
" free from their blood ?" 

Every right-minded minister must feel a vast 
amount of anxiety, as to the result of his labors. 
And if his heart is suitably set on the salvation 
of his people, he will feel an inexpressible joy 
on seeing any of them "pass from death unto 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 375 

life ;" wliile equally great will be his grief on 
finding that any of them are sealing their own 
damnation. It is true, that he is not accounta- 
ble for their perdition, provided he has done 
his whole duty to them. Still, the thought of 
it will be peculiarly distressing to 'him, on ac- 
count of his ministerial relation to them. And 
be will still be liable to great distress, for fear 
that he has not done all he could toward "pulling 
them out of the fire." 

It is true, too, that the faithful minister can 
" triumph in Christ," as did the Apostle, in the 
context, though to some of his people his min- 
istrations prove " a savor of death unto death." 
And this is a rich consolation to those who, af- 
ter all their ministerial fidelity, have occasion 
to inquire, " Who hath believed our report ? 
and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ?" 
But the Apostle did not triumph in the thought 
that his ministrations issued in the aggravated 
damnation of any. No : it was in the thought 
that he had done his duty to them, and there- 
fore that God would accept of what he had 



376 The Gospel 

done to save them, and would be glorified in 
it, though they be lost forever. And so will it 
be with every devoted servant of the Lord. 
He will not only mourn over those who perish, 
but will have great anxiety for those who 
seem to have secured salvation ; for fear they 
may show, by their after-conduct, that they 
" have neither part nor lot in this matter." 
Said one Apostle, " For now we live, if ye stand 
fast in the faith/' And said another, " I have 
no greater joy than to hear that my children 
walk in truth." 

Since, then, the preaching of the Gospel is 
so arduous and difficult — since it is so im- 
portant that it be done with great exactness, 
as well as great energy and perseverance, since 
it is attended with immense consequences, either 
joyous or sorrowful ; and since it involves most 
solemn responsibility and intense anxiety, well 
may the minister exclaim, with the Apostle, 
"Who is sufficient for these things?" How 
cautious, and strenuous, and untiring he needs 
to be, in his labors of love. And how much he 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 377 

needs to look aloft, for wisdom, and strength, 
and courage in his work, lest some souls be lost 
through his neglect. 

The foregoing thoughts address themselves 
to my own mind with a peculiar power, in this 
connection. I am coming to the close of my 
labors in regard to these discourses, and per- 
haps as regards the whole of my public min- 
istry. And it behoves me, in such circum- 
stances, to consider, whether I have been faith- 
ful to my Master, and faithful to those for whose 
salvation he has sent me to minister. Nor does 
it require a long review to ascertain, that in 
many things I have come short. For though 
I have occasion to bless God that some hun- 
dreds appear to have been converted under my 
ministry, I have reason to fear that many, very 
many, will be lost through my unfaithfulness. 
For, had I been at all times as watchful for op- 
portunities to warn and entreat the impenitent 
to seek salvation, and as faithful to improve 
them as I ought to have been, the probability 
is, that I might have been the means, in the 



378 The Gospel 

hand of God, of persuading many more to flee 
from final wrath. And I would that this re- 
view might quicken me to suitable endeavors 
for "redeeming the time."* 

But, as respects this course of sermons, I 
cannot regard myself as very delinquent. Al- 
though I wish they were more attractive, in- 
structive, and persuasive, I have done what I 
Gould in them to show the impenitent their guilt 
and danger, and their only way of escape ; as 
also the importance of escaping, without delay. 
My object has been to render the subject of 

* While I was yet living under the paternal roof, a youth called at 
tny father's, on his way West. I afterwards learned that he had become 
a minister of the Gospel, and that his ministry was greatly blessed. 
At length I met with him. And on making myself known to him, 
he said, " I have desired to see you more than any other man. Do 
you recollect, that when I spent a night at your father's, you took 
me one side, and urged me to become a Christian V I told him I 
had no recollection of doing so. " Well, you did," said he ; " and that 
is the reason that I am now preaching the Gospel," And this an- 
nouncement filled me, not only with joy, but self-reproach. For it 
suggested to me that I had had many like opportunities to '•' speak a 
word in season;" but had not improved them : whereas, ^if I had 
been equally faithful on all these occasions, I might have been, by 
the blessing of God, the means of bringing many more to salvation; 
come of whom might have become ministers of the Gospel, number- 
ing tkeir hundreds of converts. 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 379 

man's ruin and recovery as simple and plain as 
possible, and I hope I have so far succeeded as 
to leave the sinner, in this respect, without ex. 
cuse. At the same time, I have endeavored to 
avoid all the harshness and severity that need- 
lessly offends. In short, I have aimed to make 
these discourses, as much as possible, '' a sweet 
Savor of Christ unto God," and of '^life unto 
life," to all who shall give them attention. 

But on closing these labors, I am seized with 
the painful apprehension that they may prove 
to many " a savor of death unto death ;" con- 
sequently, that all I have done to simplify and 
rfucidate the way of salvation, and to persuade 
them to enter it, will but aggravate their guilt, 
and deepen their damnation. Such an event I 
should grievously deplore. I should be far 
from satisfied, that my ministrations were *'unto 
God a sweet savor of Christ." I would have 
them also "a savor of life unto life," to my im- 
penitent readers. And this induces me to urge 
the more earnestly upon them the remaining por- 
tion of our subject, viz : 
16* 



380 The Gospel 

The solemn responsibility of those who hear 
the Gospel. 

My fellow sinners, you to whom the word of 
salvation is sent, have, in some respects, a far 
more fearful accountability than those have 
who address it to you in the name of the Lord. 
You have, therefore, no less occasion than they 
to exclaim, ''Who is sufficient for these things?" 
If they deal faithfully with you, they will re- 
joice and "triumph" forever, in their labors 
for you, even though these labors should be 
to you "a savor of death unto death;'' thus 
immensely increasing your guilt and your woe. 
Not that they will rejoice in your damnation. 
Far from it. They will rejoice only that they 
have striven faithfully to keep you from per- 
dition, and that their efforts to do so are ac- 
ceptable to God, and will promote his glory. 
But as for you, how much greater must be your 
woe, if you turn a deaf ear to all their instruc- 
tions, entreaties and warnings, and rush to de- 
struction. For, the higher toward heaven you 
are exalted by the preaching of the Gospel, the 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 381 

deeper will be your destruction, by rejecting 
it. Of those who refuse his messages of mercy, 
the Savior says, " If I had not come and spoken 
unto them, they had not had sin." Thus teach- 
ing that their previous sins are as nothing com- 
pared with that of refusing his offers of eternal 
life. You see, then, that while you are hearing 
the ministrations of the Gospel, your position 
is one of awful responsibility. For you will be 
immensely more happy, or immensely more 
miserable, for having these labors bestowed 
upon you ; and it is left for yourselves to say, 
whether this happiness or this woe shall be 
your final destiny. How momentous, then, the 
alternative that hangs on your decision. 

You have, indeed, been told, that the Gos- 
pel, though ministered ever so faithfully, may 
prove "a savor of death unto death;" and yet 
that this same Gospel is acceptable to God, and 
will redound to his glory. But this truth will 
not in the least relieve you of your fearful re- 
sponsibility. It is neither the tendency nor 
the aim of the Gospel to work out your de- 



382 The Gospel 

structiou, but the contrary. You will not be 
consigned to a deeper damnation because this 
Gospel has been 'preached to you, but because 
you neglect and abuse it. It is not its treat- 
ment oiyou^ but your treatment of ^^, that will 
decide and enhance your condemnation. Nor 
is the Lord pleased with your perdition, in it- 
self considered. "As I live, saith the Lord God, 
I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." 
And therefore he sends his ministers, to warn 
and entreat you to escape from it. For they 
" are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did 
beseech you by them, they pray you in Christ^s 
&tead to be reonciled to God." Yet none of 
these things will mitigate, but vastly aggravate 
your eternal anguish, if you reject salvation. 
As you sit in the dark cell of your final prison- 
house, and reflect forever on the much that has 
been done to keep you from coming there, how 
much fuel it will add to the fire then burning 
within you. For you will see, that in propor- 
tion to the much that has been done to save 
you, will be your folly and guilt in refusing 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 3BS 

salvatiori. And, perhaps, you will then recol- 
lect, that you not only refused to be won by the 
warnings and the entreaties of gospel grace, but 
that your struggles against them were violent 
and long. So much sorer, then, will be your 
endless remorse and sorrow. Perhaps, too, you 
will have to recollect, that while the messengers 
of mercy were most earnest, and solemn, and 
tender, in urging you to life, then it was that 
you were most indignant against them and their 
messages of grace. Some are excited to no 
little wrath, abuse and blasphemy, by urgent 
persuasives to flee from final woe. And if such 
has been the case with you, how agonizing may 
be the recollection of it in the world of final 
despair. 

Nor will these painful reflections be slightly 
aggravated by the fact that God so highly ap- 
proves of the earnestness and energy with 
which ministers have sought to save the im- 
penitent from going down to the pit. For the 
lost will see, that while they have hated and 
vilified these ministers the more on account of 



384 The Gospel 

their fidelity, the more love and praise will God 
bestow. And, perhaps, to see the triumphs of 
God and of his ministers, in regard to what 
they have done to save you, is what will inflict 
the deepest stings of anguish which you will 
feel in the world of woe." Then " who is 
sufficient for these things ? " Can thine heart 
endure, or thine hand be strong, in the days 
that I shall deal with thee?" — Ez. 22 : 14. 

In concluding this course of sermons, I would 
urge upon your attention your peculiar danger : 
the danger of making the Gospel "a savor of 
death unto death" to your own souls — a dan- 
ger that is the greater because you feel your- 
selves so safe. Some of you feel the safer, I 
suppose, because you are surrounded by so 
many institutions and influences of gospel grace. 
You may be confidently hoping that these 
will bring you to salvation, some time before 
you die. And yet the fact, that you have 
lived so long unbenefitted in the midst of these 
high privileges, is what makes your salvation, 
in certain respects, the more difficult and 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 385 

doubtful. As they have not been able to bring 
you to salvation heretofore^ how can you expect 
them to do it hereafter? 

The due and direct tendency of the truth is, 
to soften the heart ; but resistance hardens it. 
And the more the truth is resisted, the more 
the heart is hardened. It is in its first onsets 
that truth exerts its greatest power. For, then 
it has the aid of novelty and surprise. And, if 
it can be effectually resisted at first, it can be 
afterwards more easily resisted. For it loses 
its interest and power by repetition, while the 
heart is growing harder. The longer, then, 
you have withstood the warnings and entreaties 
of the Gospel, the greater will be both your 
ability and disposition to do so. And as they 
could not overcome your reluctance in time 
past, how can you expect them to do it in time 
to come ? No : the dreadful probability is, 
that this Gospel, instead of proving " a savor 
of life unto life" to you, will prove doubly "a 
savor of death unto death:" since, by hitherto 
resisting it, you have increased both your desert 



386 The Gospel 

of damnation and the probability of your suf- 
fering it. 

Another way in which your danger is in- 
creased is, by exhausting the patience, and by 
augmenting the wrath of God. For the greater 
the light and love against which you sin, the 
more do you weary his long suffering, and pro- 
voke his "hot displeasure." And as you have 
been so long doing so, by disregarding the in- 
structions and invitations of the Gospel, how 
much reason you have to fear that soon he will 
"swear in his wrath that you shall not enter 
into his rest." For, the greater your guilt, the 
louder does justice call for your condemnation. 
And there is a bound beyond which the patience 
and mercy of God will not reach. Yes, there 
is a measure of time and of transgression, which, 
if you pass, the saving grace of God will not 
follow you. This limit of the divine forbearance 
cannot be ascertained by you : yet it is unalter- 
ably fixed in the purpose of God. And your 
ignorance of it does but make your case the 
more dangerous and dreadful. For you know 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 387 

not but you are just now arriving at this fatal 
limit. And if you do arrive there, you will be 
" cut down as a cumberer of the ground," ac- 
cording to the consent of mercy herself, as ex- 
pressed in the parable of the barren fig-tree. — 
Luke 13 : 9. And sometimes the blow falls 
most unexpectedly, according to the declara- 
tion, " He that being often reproved, harden- 
eth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and 
that without remedy.'^ — Prov. 29: 1. Or if 
God should spare your lives, he will withdraw 
from you the strivings of his Spirit, and per- 
haps the means of grace. And '' wo unto you, 
when he departs from you." — Hosea 9: 12. 
For if you are left to yourselves, you will be as 
certainly lost as if you were already in the pit : 
not because you could not, but because you 
certainly would not repent. For, if you will 
not resolve to leave your sins while the Spirit 
of God is striving with you, much less will you 
do it when he has utterly forsaken you. But as 
yet " the Spirit and the Bride say, come." To- 
day, then, after so long a time — to-day, why 
will you not hear his voice, and no longer 



388 The Gospel 

harden your hearts ? Why will yon noi seize 
on this accepted time, which may be your only 
day of salvation, to lay hold on eternal life ? 

A great share of gospel sinners are intending, 
and evidently expecting to repent and be saved 
at some future season. They are fully deter- 
mined^ they say, to secure salvation ; and are 
only delaying the concern for the present Prob- 
ably it is so with you. But lohy this delay ? 
Probably you will say, with the many, you are 
waiting for a more convenient season. A more 
convenient season. Ah! little do you \hmk 
how insulting is this excuse to that God who 
is holding you out of hell by the brittle thread 
of life, that he may give you an opportunity 
to believe and be saved. What right have 
you to consult your own convenience, in a 
matter of so much moment ? To do so, is to 
outrage both the majesty and the mercy of 
your God. Although he has an infinite abhor- 
rence of your course of iniquity, he still holds 
you in life, and says, " do not continue this 
abominable thing that I hate.' -Jer. 44: 4. And 
you m^ke ihe insulting .^replyf ^f itm going - to^ 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 389 

jsMQ--4hmg that I hate." — ^Jer. 44: 4. And 
you make the insulting reply, " I am going to 
cease ; but shall consult my own convenience, 
as to when I shall cease." What would you 
think of a fellow man who was doing you a 
grievous injury, and who, on your requesting 
him to desist, should give you a similar reply ? 
But yours is the more heinous, as it is a con- 
tempt not only of God's justice, but of his saving 
grace. He urges you to desist, that you may 
escape eternal wrath and secure eternal bliss. 
What matchless eJBfrontery, then, to reply that 
you will do so, but will take your own time for 
it. It is not your convenience, but Ms, that 
should be consulted. And he tells you that his 
convenient season is the present. "Behold, 
now is the accepted time ; behold, now is the 
day of salvation." 

By this excuse, too, you deny the wisdom 
and the truth of God. He tells you the present 
is the best time, because it is the only time of 
which you are sure. He tells you, ''To-day, if 
ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart." 



390 The Gospel 

Ps. 95. " Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for 
thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." 
Prov. 27. ''For man also knoweth not his 
time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil 
net, and as the birds that are canght in the 
snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil 
time, when it falleth suddenly upon them." — 
Eccl. 9. "Agree with thine adversary quicMy^ 
while thou art in the way with him ; lest at any 
time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, 
and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and 
thou be cast into prison." — Mat. 5. *' There- 
fore, be ye also ready : for in such an hour as 
ye think not, the Son of Man cometh." — Mat. 
24. But while God thus positively and re- 
peatedly affirms the present to be the best time, 
you practically deny it ; and thus are doing 
much to provoke him to jprove his wisdom and 
your folly, by your ''sudden destruction, and 
that without remedy." 

But why do you think the present is an in- 
convenient season? Is it because religion 
would interfere with your aspirations after the 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 391 

pleasures, riches and honors of the world ? It 
has been shown, in a foregoing discourse, that 
true ipiety promotes J rather than prevents the 
acquirement of all those that are worth posses- 
sing : and that as to those that are forbidden, 
the time will never come when it will not in- 
terfere with them. Or do you think the pres- 
ent is an inconvenient time, because you are so 
crowded with the cares and labors of life, that 
you have no leisure to seek salvation ? I say 
again, then, that salvation can be secured with- 
out interfering at all with your needful labors 
and cares about your worldly interests: and 
that these labors and cares will increase, instead 
of diminishing. If, then, they necessarily hinder 
your salvation noio^ they will always do so. 
And you must see that no worldly employ- 
ment or interest is worthy to be compared with 
that of securing the infinite blessedness of the 
life to come. Or perhaps you hope that some- 
how or other it will be more easy hereafter to 
give up your sins and turn to God, than it is at 
present. But it is all a delusion. Your hearts 



392 The Gospel 

are growing harder and harder, through the 
deceitfulness of sin. And your attachment to 
sin is growing stronger and stronger, by the 
law of habit. 

The hope of a more convenient season is the 
deadliest delusion that you can entertain. For 
there is no rational probability that it will ever 
come. Generally speaking, your opportunities 
will be less and less favorable. Early youth is 
the most favorable time ; and difficulties in- 
crease with age. Nor would you be likely to 
improve the better time, if it should arrive. 
For never does the sinner seek salvation suc- 
cessfully lecause Tie thinks the opportunity a con- 
venient one. No: never will he strive effectu- 
ally to enter into the strait gate till he feels 
that, convenient or inconvenient, he must do it 
at once, and with all his heart ; or rather till 
he loses all thought of a more convenient sea- 
son. And if you persist in waiting for such a 
season, you will certainly perish. 

Many seem to think, that if they had no pur- 
pose at all about escaping final wrath, their 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 393 

danger would be great: but as they are fully 
determined to repent before death, they are 
quite safe. And this, perhaps, is your position. 
But a more perilous one can scarcely be con- 
ceived. The stronger your confidence of safety, 
the greater your danger. The more you rely 
on your resolution to repent hereafter^ the less 
you are disposed to repent at present. As you 
hush your present fears, by the hope of seeking 
salvation at some future season^ it is the more 
difficult to persuade you to seek it now. Thus 
you are in the greater danger of dying in im- 
penitence. And what does your purpose to 
repent hereafter amount to? In effect, it is 
nothing more than a resolution, not to repent 
Oit ^present And you have only to continue this 
resolution to insure damnation. Of all the de- 
vices of Satan, none are more crafty, and none 
more deadly, than that of tempting you to rely 
upon the resolution of future repentance. I 
believe it has peopled the world of woe with 
more gospel sinners than any other delusion. 

Millions of these lost ones resolved on earth as 
17- 



394 The Gospel 

firmly as you now resolve, that they would be 
careful to repent and believe at a future season. 
This resolution failed them. And what reason 
have you to expect that the same resolution 
will not fail you ? Once they were where you 
are now — having precisely the same purpose 
and the same hope. Oh, beware, then, lest 
hereafter you be where they are now, bewailing 
in hell your trust in this fatal resolution. Oh, 
why will you not escape their doom, by now 
resolving that you will enter at once the strait 
gate of life. 

I will offer but one more proof of your danger. 
It is, the present o]?position of your hearts to the 
conditions of salvation. Of this opposition you 
must be conscious, on turning your thoughts 
inward. If you have attended sufficiently to 
the foregoing discourses, you must have found 
ample evidence that religion would not impair 
or impede those pleasures, riches and honors of 
earth that are most valuable ; but would rather 
promote them : consequently, it would advance 
your present as well as your eternal welfare, to 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 395 

become Christians without delay. And per- 
haps you are convinced of it already, and there- 
fore have a kind of wish that you had already 
passed from death unto life. Then why not 
repent and believe at once ? Ah, here comes 
the reason : you have such a strong dislike to 
repentance and faith, that you think you cannot 
exercise them now. To resolve that you will 
now and forever forsake all your wrong feelings 
and conduct, and to trust entirely in the right- 
eousness of Christ for justification, thereby vir- 
tually acknowledging that you deserve divine 
wrath, and cannot merit deliverance from it — 
oh, this is what your sin-loving and proud 
hearts utterly revolt from. You say, therefore, 
you cannot repent and believe now ; but hope 
you can hereafter. And here is your greatest 
danger — the hope that it will be easier at some 
future time to comply with these conditions of 
salvation. But if you hate the way of salva- 
tion so much now^ why may you not as much 
hereafter ? You cannot find, or even fancy a 
single circumstance that is calculated to lessen 



39€ The Gospel 

this hatred. But^ on the contrary, you are 
taught, both by the Word of God and your own 
experience, that your hearts are more and more 
" hardened, through the deceitfulness of sin ;" 
and more and more confirmed by habit, in op- 
position to vital and practical godliness. *' Can 
the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard 
his spots ? then may ye also do good that are 
accustomed to do evil." — Jer. 13: 23. The 
longer you continue in sin, the harder it will 
be to leave it. Many an aged sinner has, there- 
fore, lamented, on his death-bed, that he did 
not give his heart to God in youth. Yes, and 
many, who hoped it would be more easy to re- 
pent when about to die, have died in despair, 
declaring they could not repent. No : if you 
cannot now comply with the conditions of sal- 
vation, you never can. Next month, and next 
year, should you live so long, you will find no 
less repugnance to them than you feel at the 
present moment. This native attachment to 
sin, and aversion to holiness, has got to be met, 
resisted and overcome, sooner or later, or you 



An Immense Loss or Gain. 397 

cannot be saved. It is by thus denying your- 
selves, and taking up your cross, that you are 
to take the first step in coming unto Christ. 
Then, why not do it now, when it can be done 
as easily as ever ? Or rather, as the future is 
utterly uncertain, why not do it now, lest the 
hoped-for hereafter should never come ? 

And now, my impenitent friends, I must take 
my leave of you till we meet at the final bar of 
God. But I lament to part with you, till you 
are fully determined to " arise at once, and go 
to your Father." And why not come to this 
all-important resolution, before you lay this 
volume down ? Can you conceive of a more 
appropriate time for making that one great de- 
cision on which your eternal destiny hangs ? I 
beg of you to delay no longer, lest you exhaust 
the last drop of God's long-suffering ; and he 
" swear in his wrath that you shall not enter 
into his rest." Come, rather, to that blessed 
resolution, which you will never regret; but 
over which you will always rejoice, both in 
time and eternity, " with joy unspeakable and 
full of glory." 



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